


Knight Errand

by OneLuckyUnicorn



Series: Mobius Dawn [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-06 17:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 111,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3142181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneLuckyUnicorn/pseuds/OneLuckyUnicorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Are knights born, or are they made? One Freedom Fighter will discover the answer to this question as he embarks on a quest for glory.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story in a series Mobius Dawn! Allow me to state a couple of things. First of all, this story (still) focuses heavily on Antoine, so if you hate his character, turn back now. If you have issues with him but can still read with an open mind, then please, by all means continue.
> 
> Secondly, I'm not going to bother writing certain characters' accents phonetically (namely Antoine's), because in addition to generally finding such dialogue difficult to read, it's just something that I've never been crazy about.
> 
> This story doesn't follow any particular Sonic continuity. Rather, I just borrowed some of the concepts and characters from the Archie comics, the games, and SatAM and brewed it all together with my own ideas to create an alternate universe. As such, I've taken some artistic liberties with certain things from canon. For example, Antoine will be referred to as a coydog here and not a coyote. I'm fully aware of the fact that he's a coyote in canon, but since having chanced across an interesting theory about his parentage on a SatAM fan site, I've decided he'll be a coydog in my story-verse instead.
> 
> The original characters in here are my own creations. Enjou, the Mobian equivalent of Japan that is mentioned briefly, is Nikkicub's concept. On that note, I tip my hat to both her and Wingedhippocampus for several of the ideas that are presented in here. I also send love and hugs to my awesome beta Shauni as well as the equally talented Usami for helping me figure out where to go with KE (thank you for putting up with my TL; DR prattling, guys), and all the wonderful readers who reviewed the trainwreck that was KE v.1.0.
> 
> Enjoy!

On one bright and sunny afternoon in Knothole Village, Antoine D'Coolette was making his way over to the Power Ring grotto. Once there, he found a comfortable spot beneath one of the large shade trees edging the clear pool of water and settled down at the base of its trunk.  
     
In spite of the day's mild weather, he still wore his standard attire, the distinctive blue, crimson, and gold uniform of the Acorn family's royal guard. The light brown and tawny coydog's only company was a large book, its dark brown leather cover cracked in several places and well-worn from a combination of age and being read over and over again. The title, Knights Of Mobius, was displayed on the cover in bold old-fashioned gold print.  
     
Finding the coydog by himself was hardly surprising, especially these days. For some time now, Antoine had felt like he really wasn't a part of the Knothole Freedom Fighters at all, but instead was just some outsider Princess Sally had taken pity on and allowed to tag along with them. In fact, she and the others were presently out picking berries together, which were to be used for cooking (assuming Tails and Sonic didn't eat most of them first). Before the group had left, Bunnie had asked Antoine if he was interested in joining them, but he made up some excuse about remaining behind to guard Knothole.  
     
As the eldest of the active Freedom Fighters at the age of seventeen, _he_ should've been the most respected among them (well, the most respected right after his beloved Princess Sally), Antoine sourly thought, but alas, that was not the case. There hardly seemed to be anyone in Knothole for him to really talk to. He had had friends back when he had attended the La Valette Military Academy in Mercia, hadn't he? True, he hadn't been an incredibly popular student, but there had been other boys and girls at the training school for prospective soldiers with whom he'd often spoken to and had fun with. Those days had provided him with some of the happiest memories of his short life.  
     
So exactly where and why had his life taken a turn for the worse? Antoine had lain awake in bed for hours last night trying to pinpoint the precise moment, and now he finally believed he knew when the trouble had all started. The root of his problems lay with that miserable usurper, Dr. Julian Kintobor, or Dr. Robotnik as he liked to call himself.  
     
What would Antoine’s life have turned out to be like had he not been forced to leave La Valette because of the war? He would have been much better off than he was now, that was for certain. Perhaps he would have graduated and then gone on to serve as a squire under a more experienced knight in King Maximilian Acorn's court before becoming a full-fledged knight himself. Why, he could have even won the hand of Princess Sally!  
     
Then again, if Sonic was still in the picture in that hypothetical situation, that was debatable. It would seem as though that foolish hedgehog had somehow managed to steal his princess' heart. It didn't take a genius like Rotor to see she obviously favored Sonic over himself. Sonic may not have been the son of a general like Antoine was, but his uncle Charles Hedgehog had been knighted by King Acorn himself, and that, along with his heroics in the Freedom Fighters' war against Robotnik, certainly lent him some leverage as a potential beau for the princess.  
     
It was bad enough that Sonic had purloined Sally from him, but to add insult to injury Antoine was a constant target for his rival's jibes and taunts. At least he was actually willing to give Sonic credit for helping him out of dangerous situations on more than one occasion before - that was certainly more respect than he had ever shown Antoine. As a perfect example of the blatant contempt Sonic held for him, a few nights ago Antoine had been returning from the village well, having just drawn some water for his supper when he just happened to pass by the open window of Sonic's hut and overheard Sonic rudely talking about him with several other Knothole residents and making fun of him – yet again. At first he had chalked up Sonic's antagonism to pure jealousy and an attempt to humiliate him in front of the princess, but now… well, now he wasn't quite so sure anymore.  
     
The fact he had been in the Kingdom of Acorn for ten years now and still had yet to master the stupid English language probably didn't help matters any. His parents could speak it quite well. He found it frustrating that something which should have been easy to learn was so difficult for him to pick up. Rosie, the old woodchuck nanny who had watched over Antoine and the other youngsters when they were younger, had tried helping him with his English before, but most of their lessons ended with him simply being too frustrated to continue any further.  
     
Speaking of his parents, were it not for Robotnik, then his father and mother would have still been alive. The loss of his parents was one of the worst things Robotnik had personally done to him. Antoine's father, General Armand D'Coolette, had been the head of King Maximilian's military forces in addition to being a courageous war hero and well-respected commander. Armand was said to have a talent for warfare, able to devise devastatingly brilliant battle stratagems and fearlessly lead his troops into combat, and possessed the medals and honors to prove it. In fact, it was Armand's old uniform from when he had been a young guardsman just starting out in the king's service that Antoine now wore in his memory. It was one of the few items belonging to Armand that had been salvaged, and Antoine greatly treasured it as a link to his father. Armand had intended for his son to become a knight in the service of the Acorns, but fate had intervened.  
     
Lady Belle D'Coolette, Antoine's mother, had also been a well-regarded member of the royal court. Prior to marrying Armand, she had achieved some fame back in Mercia as an athlete, having competed professionally as a swimmer. Antoine remembered a woman who was vibrant and intelligent as she was affectionate. It was she who had taught him how to swim.  
     
Antoine had actually had a family back then, with uncles, aunts, grandparents, and even several cousins and from both sides of the family. He may not have gotten along with everyone all the time, but he sorely missed them all now. He had no knowledge of where his relatives were, or even if any of them had survived. Antoine didn't know what had happened to his parents after his mother had forced him to go with Rosie to Knothole for his own safety as the palace was being swarmed by Robotnik's forces. Belle had remained behind to help the other inhabitants get to safety, while Armand was occupied elsewhere trying to fend off the robotic soldiers known as SWATBots. Belle had tightly embraced the nine-year old Antoine, smothering his face with kisses before tenderly wiping both his and her own tears away with her silk shawl. She'd told him to be a good boy and help Rosie keep an eye on the other youngsters. Belle watched as Rosie led the children to safety through an escape tunnel hidden deep inside the palace. The last image Antoine had of his mother was her waving at everyone from the top of the stairwell.  
     
Since that day, Antoine had not seen his mother or his father. A part of him deeply desired to know if they were still out there somewhere alive and well, but another part was terrified to learn the truth. What if some terrible fate had befallen them?  
     
Putting aside those dreary thoughts for the moment, Antoine opened  Knights Of Mobius and began flipping through its age-yellowed pages. The book had originally belonged to Rosie, but she had given it to Antoine, knowing of his passion for the old legends about knights and other similar heroes. He had already read the book fifty times over, probably even more than that, but he absolutely loved the stories it contained. They provided an escape for him when he just wanted to get away from the numerous troubles plaguing him in the real world.  
     
Long ago, great warriors banded together to form military orders in various kingdoms and republics on two continents in particular: the Great Continent and Meiriona. These military orders had borne such illustrious names as 'the Knights of the Ruby Lance' and the 'Order of The Firebird'. They had been founded to maintain peace in their homelands, and were honorable, virtuous, and fearless Mobians without peer. There had even been knights in distant lands like Enjou, though from what Antoine understood they differed in certain aspects from the knights he was used to. Of course, many modern-day knights had either been slain, roboticized, or gone deep into hiding thanks to Robotnik.  
     
Antoine heaved a despondent sigh. If he had even a mere fraction of a knight's bravery and skill, then he certainly would get a lot more respect then he presently did. Now he had come to the chapter discussing knight-errants, knights who took up wandering the land in search of adventure and quests in order to prove themselves. Next to the fame and glory that came with being a knight, the noble quests they would embark on were the best parts of the stories in his opinion.  
     
From the time he had been small, Antoine wanted to be a knight. It seemed far more exciting to actually _be_ in an adventure of his own, rather than just reading or hearing about someone else's. But now that goal seemed like such a distant dream, hanging as far out of his reach as the stars in the sky did. How could someone like him hope to achieve knighthood? He hadn't completed his training, much less done anything to prove himself worthy of the title. Asking Sally to knight him would simply be out of the question. He didn't know what he should do with himself. Since he had been a pup the importance of being a strong male of valor and honor had been pounded into his head. Now all he could think about was how miserably he had failed in that regard. It seemed like he was doomed to be the Freedom Fighters' resident laughingstock for the rest of his life.  
     
One particular section that took up two pages caught his eye. It was a story about Sir Aleron of Anjou. The ermine was one of Antoine's favorite knights. Just like Antoine, Sir Aleron had been born in the Mercian capital of Anjou and began his career as a knight-errant. In his day, Aleron had been renowned throughout Meiriona as one of its most cunning and fiercest fighters.  
     
Antoine began reading the passage. Aleron had traveled to the court of King Russell the Just, looking to impress him so that he might be knighted. The king had called upon his knights to rescue his sister, the Lady Lunette, from the clutches of the villainous Overlord, and bade Aleron to go with them. A giant among the Overlander species, the Overlord was a truly fearsome warrior who wielded a mighty great sword he called Wrath. In the ensuing confrontation, the Overlord had succeeded in either besting or slaying many of Aleron's fellows until only Aleron himself was left. He and Aleron fought, and like the other knights, Aleron seemed outmatched by the cruel warlord. Just when it looked as though Aleron had seen his last day on Mobius, at the last second he tricked the Overlord into embedding Wrath into a tree stump . Taking advantage of his enemy’s misfortune, Aleron quickly slew him, and with that done, went to find Lunette.  
     
_'"Entering the Overlord's dark, dreary tower, Aleron ascended the steps to the room in which Lunette was being imprisoned in. He could see that the door was protected by a stout lock. Through the heavy wooden door, Lunette explained that she knew not what the Overlord had done with the key. Telling her not to fret, Aleron used his dagger to pick the lock. As he opened the door and stepped inside the room, Lunette came forward to gratefully embrace her rescuer. "Truly I am in your debt, young sir! Who are you?"_  
     
"My name is Aleron," Aleron answered with a sweeping bow.  
     
"I will tell my brother of your heroism here today, and he will reward you with whatever your heart desires."  
     
"My lady, my one true desire is to become a knight." Aleron earnestly replied. "I have traveled far and wide in search of adventure and an honorable liege to whom I may pledge my services to."  
     
Lunette found his reply pleasing. "Then it shall be done, Sir Aleron." The white doe remembered that her dreams had foretold of a talented new knight who would arise to defend Mercia from threats within the kingdom as well as ones from out. Could this young Mobian be him?'  
     
Antoine gave a vigorous shake of his head. For a millisecond, the craziest thought had crept unbidden into his mind like a worm boring into an apple. Was he looking straight at the answer to all his problems right here in this old book? But he couldn't do anything like what Sir Aleron had done, could he? After all, he was certainly no knight, not to mention the fact that he had never really gone on an adventure by himself before.  
     
Still though… it looked like his situation was never going to improve if he just lay around Knothole moping. Perhaps the only way he could finally get an opportunity to prove himself to everybody was to follow in the footsteps of his hero by becoming a knight-errant and embarking on his very own epic quest.  
     
The more he contemplated it, the better the idea was sounding. Once he was out on the road all by himself, there would be no annoying hedgehogs or anyone else around to take his well-deserved glory away from him. He would perform some heroic act and bring back proof of having done so, thereby impressing the princess and everyone else. Sally would just have to knight him then, just like how Lunette had knighted Aleron!  
________________________________________  
  
     
Early the next day, Antoine was parked on the floor of his always tidy hut, in the middle of performing a check-off. He did have sense enough to gather only the essentials required for his journey: non-perishable foodstuffs, clothing, a first aid kit, a tent, a sleeping bag, a box of waterproof matches, a compass, a map of the Great Continent, and several pieces of cookware, all of which were neatly assembled before him. Fortunately, it was late spring, and the temperature was warming up by this time. And of course, he was going nowhere without his beloved sabre.  
     
He was also trying to weed out any unnecessary items. For instance, he had contemplated bringing  Knights Of Mobius, but considering the fact that he had many of the stories in it practically memorized by heart, finally decided against it. The secondary reason behind his choice was that Rosie would be displeased to learn Antoine had potentially exposed a book to the elements, since she had taught him and the others that books were precious and should be properly cared for.  
     
Finally satisfied with what he wound up with, Antoine prepared to start packing everything away when a knock came at his front door. Ears perking up, he stopped. For a moment he considered answering it, but then decided not to and returned his attention to the task at hand. Hopefully whoever it was would leave. He didn't want to be discouraged from his quest by the other Knotholers, which is what he imagined would happen if they were to discover his intentions. He was content leaving a note behind on his bed explaining why he had left.  
     
But whoever was out there wouldn't leave. After a few minutes of continuous knocking, there was silence. Antoine sighed in relief. It seemed the person had finally gotten the message and given up. But then the knocking started again, becoming even louder as it persisted. Finally, he relented and went to see who it was before they ended up punching a hole through his door.  
     
Bunnie Rabbot, Knothole's very own cyborg rabbit, was standing outside, hands on her hips and a look of concern on her face. "Antoine? You alright, sugah? We ain't seen hide or hair of you ‘round lately." She asked in her heavy southern accent.  
     
Antoine had to smile, appreciating her concern. Bunnie was one of the very few Mobians around who Antoine felt genuinely liked him for him. "I am being fine, Bunnie." He answered, trying to sound lackadaisical.  
     
Craning her neck to peek curiously around her slightly taller teammate's shoulder, Bunnie spotted a knapsack and the spread of camping gear on the floor of what he called his parlor room. "Uh, you goin’ somewhere?"  
     
Antoine winced. _'Here I go…'_ He thought. "Well… I have decided to become a knight-errant and leave Knothole to go on a quest."  
     
Bunnie's already large eyes grew even bigger with astonishment. "A quest? Like a knight?"  
     
" _Oui_." Antoine nodded. "I am wishing to be completing _mon_ training so that I can finally become a knight."  
     
"Well, that sure is an admirable goal sugah, but what if you ran into some of Robotnik's goons? You're gonna be out there all by your lonesome."  
     
A cold feeling of dread gripped Antoine in its jaws, but he tried to shake it off as best he could. "Bunnie, I need to be doing this for myself." He quietly replied.  
     
"But don't you think you should've said somethin' about this idea of yours’ to the rest of us first? We'd have been worried sick out of our minds about you!"  
     
Antoine laughed. The bitterness in it surprised him, and he was sure it surprised Bunnie as well. "Aside from you, the princess, Tails, and Rosie, no one else would be noticing," He muttered, lowering his gaze. "Or caring."  
     
"Now Twan, that just ain't true!" Bunnie said, moving closer to him and placing her left hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Everybody would've been wonderin' what had happened to you."  
     
Antoine wondered if Bunnie actually believed her own words or was merely saying all that just to make him feel better. "You are probably being right." He grudgingly conceded. "But would most of them even bother trying to look for _moi_ once they are learning I am gone? You are hearing all the things Sonic and the others say about me. They are not really being my friends. I am thinking this quest would be good for me. It could raise my value in the others’ eyes. Please be saying that you will be giving _moi_ your support, _mon amie_."  
     
Bunnie's eyes, which still held uncertainty in their light green depths, met his pleading azure ones. Finally she sighed in defeat, but flashed him a good-natured smile. "I still ain't sure 'bout all this quest stuff, but there's no way I can say no to a friend. You got my support."  
________________________________________  
     
Antoine had been walking through the Great Forest for about an hour, having left Knothole Village after telling Bunnie goodbye. She had offered to inform the others about his quest for him, to which he agreed. After all, when he really thought about it, he wasn't sure when his note would be discovered if he just left it in his hut without saying a word to anybody. While he realized Bunnie had only been trying to warn him about Robotnik out of concern for his well-being, being reminded of him hadn't exactly helped Antoine muster up the courage needed for the journey ahead, and he wasn't in the mood for listening to the other Knotholers fill his head with more fears – or laughing at his idea.  
     
When he could just barely make out Knothole amidst the dense screen of foliage that was the forest, he had stopped a moment to look back at the place that he called home for what had seemed like forever. Had it really been so long since he and the rest of the Acorn palace's motley crew of refugees had sought safety there? If he couldn't successfully complete his quest, then could he really bring himself to return there and continue putting up with the looks of disapproval and scorn?  
     
As he continued on, he was careful to avoid the roadways. All Mobians knew they were commonly traversed by Robotnik's SWATBot patrols, and he would be an easy target for capture. Instead, he kept to the woodland. He had never been in this part of the Great Forest by himself before. He had to admit that it was a radiant morning, and its beauty did help to take his mind off scarier thoughts. Shafts of golden sunlight pierced the trees’ spring green canopy, dappling the forest floor with bright spots of light, and gaps in the treetops revealed a vivid blue sky patched with fleecy white clouds. Flowers of all different types were beginning to bloom, spreading a vibrant quilt of color across the forest and meadows.  
     
Gradually, morning transitioned into afternoon. To Antoine, it felt like he had been walking for days now. It hadn't been named the Great Forest for compliment's sake. It was a vast stretch of territory, spreading out for miles in every direction. Heaving an exhausted sigh, he finally plopped down at the foot of a beech tree, taking his knapsack off and setting it aside before doing so. That done, he shut his eyes and rested. The navy-blue boots Antoine wore were actually soldier's boots, made for enduring long marches, so they were perfectly suited for his excursion. All the same though, he hadn't done anything this strenuous in a long while, and was definitely feeling the effects. The knapsack had started to feel like a hundred pound weight on his back and hampered his pace. At this rate, if he ever did find a quest to undertake, he'd be too tired to actually do so. He wished he possessed Sonic's immense speed or Tails' flying abilities. He wagered he would be able to cross the Great Forest much faster than.  
     
That train of thought screeched to a sudden halt as Antoine chided himself. This was his quest! He needed to rely on himself to accomplish this and no one else. He didn't want to depend on other Mobians to bail him out of trouble for the rest of his life. His parents and his teachers would be disappointed to learn that he’d allowed something like a little forest to discourage him. What was that old saying? "Minding your matters?" "Head over matter?" Something like that. Whatever it was, he needed to keep it in mind whenever an obstacle placed itself in his path.  
     
Pleased at having discovered a newfound sense of determination, Antoine couldn't help but smile to himself. While questing, perhaps he could also find a way to rid himself of his accursed yellow streak. It was something he didn't like to acknowledge, but supposed he needed to. He didn't know of any ways to become braver, but the thought of seeing everyone's faces once he finally returned to Knothole and they saw that he really was a great hero after all caused his smile to become a gleeful grin.  
     
Suddenly, he frowned thoughtfully, realizing something. _'Exactly_ what _am I going to be questing for?'_ Surely there had to be a lady in need of rescuing or some evil monstrosity to be slain somewhere. He supposed he just needed to look around to uncover a heroic feat to perform.  
     
The evening found Antoine at a wooden bridge spanning a rocky creek. On the other side he could see the tree line of another forest, which was gradually disappearing into shadow as the sun was starting to set. His map indicated that he only had several more miles to go before he was outside the Kingdom of Acorn's borders. His princess had updated the map to show which areas were controlled by Robotnik or were otherwise potential danger zones. It had proven reliable before when the Freedom Fighters had gone on missions (though in those moments he had usually been too anxious to even glance at a map much less read one).  
     
As he started across the bridge, Antoine decided he would try finding a place to set up camp for the night. It may have been pleasant going during the day, but at night, in the darkness all by his lonesome… well, Antoine knew full-well he would no longer be in any mood to admire the scenery. His aching and weary paws were grateful at the idea of being able to get some real rest.  
     
Suddenly Antoine stopped, cocking his head slightly as he listened. He thought he had just heard something strange. There were the assorted chirps, raspings, and steady buzz of insects hiding in the grass, trees, and underbrush, and the gentle cooing of aervwingers as they roosted for the night in the trees, all of which were normal for this time of day. The leaves on the trees and bushes gently stirred every now and then as a cool breeze blew through them, while beneath the bridge the water steadily flowed over the stones. Both also normal sounds.  
     
Wait, there it was again. It was a faint sound, like the scratching of claws across wood. Wait… _claws on wood_?  
     
He turned around just in time to see to a lizard effortlessly swing his lanky frame over the bridge's railing. Now he was standing on the bridge with Antoine. On the opposite end from where the first lizard had appeared, another lizard was also pulling himself up onto the bridge. Nervously, Antoine watched as the second lizard joined his companion, who was blocking Antoine's path, scaly arms folded across his chest as he stared the blond down. Where had they come from?  
     
The lizards (he couldn't tell what particular species they were) looked very similar in terms of their height, build, and features. Each had scales that were the color of dead leaves. However, the first one wore a red bandanna around his neck and a brown cap atop his head, while his compatriot had an eye patch covering his right eye and was decked out in a tattered brown vest and safari hat. Neither looked very friendly. In fact, they honestly looked like criminals to Antoine. The important thing to do, he told himself, was not allow his growing apprehension to show, as that would only make things worse. These sorts of Mobians seemed to thrive on the fear they could inspire in others. So, taking a deep breath, Antoine put on what he believed was his best brave front and moved forward.  
     
"Er, _bonsoir_ , gentlemen." Antoine politely nodded to each reptile as he attempted to step past them, but two clawed hands descended on his shoulders, preventing him from going anywhere. Although he stood slightly taller than the duo did, their grips proved to be surprisingly strong.  
     
"Don't you know there's a toll for crossing our bridge?" The lizard wearing red growled at him in a harsh voice that made him sound like he had smoked one too many cigarettes.  
     
"Uh, your bridge?" Antoine asked uneasily, turning to look at the lizards.  
     
The reptile smiled unpleasantly. "That's right."  
     
"Get a load of this fancy get-up." The one-eyed lizard said to his friend, jabbing a pale claw at Antoine's uniform. "I bet you got some nice trinkets on you somewhere, huh furball?"  
     
Antoine attempted to pull away from the odious lizard, but found himself bumping into the other one, who had quickly slithered behind him. Red grabbed a hold of Antoine's arms, his sharp claws digging past the blue cloth of the sleeves and Antoine’s fur and into his flesh.  
     
"T-t-this is the uniform of King Acorn's royal guard!" Antoine nervously stuttered. "So I suggest that you are letting _moi_ go!"  
     
"Or else what, Frenchie?" One-Eye demanded with a sneer, pointing a previously concealed knife at Antoine's nose pad.  
     
Or else what indeed! Even if Antoine could draw his sabre without getting stabbed in the process, he didn’t know if he would be able to work up the courage to actually use it. His cowardice was one of the things he wanted to work on excising, but there he was, too frozen with fear to do anything other than stand there babbling like a fool.  
     
Suddenly, the ponderous sounds of hooves pounding the ground came to his ears, and a large green and gray form exploded out from the nearby woods, making straight for the trio.  
     
What was happening _now_? As a loud cry of fear (that surprisingly hadn't come from Antoine) pierced the air, a cringing Antoine shut his eyes and immediately dropped to the ground in the same instance. What little bit of tail he had was tucked low, and he covered his head with his hands in an attempt to protect himself from… well, whatever it was that was attacking them now.  
     
But when nothing happened, Antoine cautiously opened one eye. He was still frightened of what he might see. The sight he found himself beholding however caused both eyes to fly open in astonishment.  
     
The mysterious newcomer was in fact a draft horse clad in a hooded forest-green tunic. His fur was a dark grayish-blue, the same shade as a storm cloud. His unruly mane and tail were black, and a jagged white blaze streaked down the length of his muzzle. Silver armored shin guards protected the part of his lower legs right above his hooves. Like many of the larger species of Mobian, the horse easily towered over the lizards as well as Antoine at an impressive six foot four.  
     
Speaking of the lizards, Red lay flat on the ground, the large iron-gray hoof on his back firmly pinning him there, while One-Eye dangled helplessly in the air as the equine gripped him tightly around the neck in one four-fingered hand.  
     
The horse glared severely at one thug, then the other. "Gentlemen," he measuredly began. Although his rough English-accented voice was soft, there was a deadly undercurrent in it, like flashes of lightning in the clouds before a thunderstorm. "I believe I have warned you before about harassing travelers…"  
     
Red squirmed fearfully on the ground. "We were just -- urk!" He grunted in pain, "… Horsing around with him!"  
     
One-Eye tried to nod in agreement, but the large hoof-like hand around his throat made performing such an action difficult, so he settled for gasping out, "He's right!"  
     
The horse rolled his eyes. "'Horsing around'? Is that supposed to be irony?" Sighing, he shook his head, long black forelock moving with the gesture. "Never mind, you two probably don't even know how to spell the word." He paused contemplatively before addressing the robbers again. "Tell me this, scale bellies. I have heard that if your tails are removed, then they will gradually grow back. Is this so?"  
     
The lizards nodded, heads rapidly bobbing up and down as both obediently answered, "Yes sir."  
     
"I would very much like to see this for myself. Shall I?…" Gripping One-Eye's tail in his free hand, grinning wickedly all the while, the horse made like he was going to yank the appendage right off.  
     
That was enough for the robbers. One-Eye was dropped unceremoniously to the ground (as the horse had intentionally loosened his grasp), while Red managed to free himself and scrambled away from the horse as fast as possible. Claws scrabbling wildly on the bridge’s beams, the pair ran back the way Antoine had come in sheer terror.  
     
"And if I catch either of you around here again, I will not be so merciful!" The horse roared after them.  
     
By then Antoine had gotten back to his feet. As he watched the criminals retreat, delighted at seeing them be humiliated, he became aware of a soft rumbling sound. He realized it was his rescuer, chuckling to himself as he too gazed in the direction the lizards had gone. Antoine could see that he was an adult, probably some older than himself, and carried a longbow on his person. A canteen as well as a deep brown leather scabbard embellished with a design of spiraling leafy vines in brass hung from the belt at his waist, and the hilt of a sword was visible. The fletched ends of numerous arrows jutted out from a quiver slung over his back.  
     
"Bullies really are all the same," The horse stated, partly to Antoine and partly to himself it seemed. "They prey upon the defenseless, but when someone more powerful then themselves comes along, they flee as if the very shades of Mephiles were at their heels." His gray eyes turned to Antoine. "I trust you are unhurt?"  
     
Embarrassed that he needed to be rescued from a perilous situation once again, Antoine carefully looked himself over. Aside from his pride, he was unharmed. And thankfully that ruffian's claws hadn't rented his uniform either. " _Oui_." He replied. Seeing the horse cock his head slightly to one side in confusion, Antoine clarified, "I mean yes." Clearly the stranger was not familiar with French.  
     
"That is good." The horse looked pleased. "Now, the wisest course of action for you would be to stop gallivanting about dark lonely places at night by yourself and find somewhere safe to stay. Perhaps you should go speak to Digbert the mole. He lives right over there." He pointed out a beech stump across the bridge. "Fine fellow, does not mind having guests at all. I must take my leave now, so I bid you a good night."  
     
With a polite dip of his head in Antoine's direction, the horse started back towards the forest. Disappointment welled up inside Antoine as he watched him go. He didn't want to see the horse leave so soon. He was the first friendly face he had encountered since leaving Knothole. Also, not many Mobians had ever stood up for him before, so maybe the horse could be a good ally. Antoine thought that there was something about him which set him apart from anyone else he knew, an air that spoke of a great inner nobility.  
     
"Wait!" Antoine called out after the retreating figure, waving his hand in the air.  
     
Stopping, the horse turned to gaze back at Antoine, his rather long ears angled forward in what could have either been interest or impatience, though when he spoke his tone of voice was neutral. "For what?"  
     
Antoine took a few steps forward. "Who are you? I am thinking it would be polite if we are at least knowing each other's names, no?"  
     
The equine’s expression turned thoughtful, and he nodded. "Very well then."  
     
Glad the horse was willing to listen to him, Antoine bowed his head to the other Mobian. "I will start. I am Antoine D'Coolette."  
     
"Well, it is an honor to meet you, Antoine," The horse said, inclining his own head in return. "I am known as Sir Edward Equinus. But just call me Edward please, or even Eddie if you like."  
     
Antoine's ears perked up. "You are being a knight?"  
     
"Yes. From Avalonia," Edward replied before quickly adding, "It is a kingdom in a distant land, so you would not have heard of it."  
     
He was correct about that. Antoine wasn’t familiar with any place called Avalonia, but he didn't really care about right then. He was just delighted to know that he was actually having a conversation with a real knight.  
     
"Well," Antoine began slowly but not without a little pride as he pretended to casually study the ivory-colored claws on his left hand, trying to conceal his excitement, "I am just happening to be a _knight-errant_." Okay, maybe he was putting on a bit. After all, a person needed to actually have the title of knight in the first place in order to be considered a knight-errant, did they not? Still, if and when Edward ever did get around to discovering the truth, hopefully he would forgive Antoine's minor exaggeration.  
     
Edward sized him up, not bothering to hide his surprise at Antoine's declaration. "Truly?"  
     
" _Oui_ ," Antoine couldn't help sticking his chest out a little as he proudly announced, "I am looking for a noble deed to perform, so that I may be finally knighted by Princess Sally Acorn!"  
     
With a slight grin, Edward replied, "Then this is a fortuitous day for the both of us, knight-errant, for I require the aid of a fellow knight."  
     
Could this day have gotten any better? Just when Antoine had wondered how he was going to find a quest, one was now presenting itself to him! "Then I am your man!" He grandly said.  
     
"I am glad to hear it," Edward said, starting back across the bridge again. "Follow me, if you please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **French translations:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Bonsoir: Good evening.
> 
> Moi: Me.
> 
> Mon ami: My friend.
> 
> Oui: Yes.


	2. Chapter 2

Antoine walked alongside Edward as the horse led him through the forest. In spite of his rough appearance, Edward moved with a regal bearing, his steps unhurried and proud. He didn't seem to concern himself over where he set his hooves, not fearing an accidental stumble into a hole or over a stone. Antoine also noticed that, strangely enough, he didn’t make a single sound as he moved either. Realizing that he looked quite graceless next to Edward, Antoine attempted to mimic the manner in which Edward walked, holding his head high and morphing his face into a mask of cool aloofness.  
     
Finally, they came upon a cave which Edward indicated they should enter. The opening was wider then it was tall, and went in roughly about twenty-five feet at a slight angle. Antoine had no problems going inside, but Edward had to stoop slightly in order to enter. Once both had gone some ways in however, Edward could stand up straight and not have his head strike the roof.  
     
When Edward halted, Antoine did as well, curiously looking around their dark setting and then over at him. Why had they come here?  
     
"Firstly, I feel there are some truths I should lay out." Edward said, leaning down to stare at Antoine. "But before I do, you _must_ swear to me by the sacred bells of Binnein Mor that you will not repeat what I am about to tell you to another living soul."  
     
Edward's gaze was so intense and stern, and his tone so serious that Antoine could do nothing more than nod nervously in response. He had never heard of any sacred bells of Binnein Mor before, but it certainly sounded like serious stuff.  
     
Satisfied, Edward straightened up, then barked out a single word in a strange tongue that Antoine didn't recognize. _“Solsihg."_ His voice echoed hollowly throughout the cavern, followed by silence.    
     
Nothing happened. Antoine was confused. Was something supposed to happen? Wondering if he was the victim of a practical joke or something, he glanced over at Edward again.  
     
He looked the same as he did before - with the exception of the spiraling iron-gray horn now protruding out of the forelock spilling over his forehead and tapered to a sharp point. He also had a somewhat scraggly black beard draping from his chin, and his iron-gray hooves were now cloven instead of being solid like a true horse's. Although his mane still maintained its original scruffiness, as did the leonine tail-tuft he was sporting, the hair possessed an unusually lustrous quality to it, like the surface of a black pearl. Obviously, Edward was not a normal horse.  
     
Antoine's jaw went slack as he stared at the impossible creature standing before him. Slowly, he pointed a shaking finger at Edward. "Y-y-y-you-you…"  
     
Chuckling softly at the other Mobian's shocked reaction, Edward replied, "I believe the word you seek is 'unicorn'. My true name is Stormblaze Oakrune, son of Moonshadow Oakrune, great-great grandson of Lady Silver Rain Oakrune. My horse disguise is to ensure that I am not bothered by Hunters - though if any do still prowl Mobius, then they shall find me not so easy to slay." His lower jaw jutted out as if he were daring Antoine to challenge his last statement.  
     
But Antoine still had yet to get over his initial surprise. "But how are you being a unicorn? They are… ex… extinguished!" He remembered how the older generations of Mobians like Rosie and the feline Cat spoke of unicorns, wistful, faraway looks in their eyes as they related stories of a time when the mystical creatures had roved freely across Mobius. And now here was a unicorn standing right before him!  
     
"I suppose you mean extinct? Well, we are not. I stand here as proof of that." Stormblaze serenely replied, motioning to himself.  
     
_'Good point.'_ Antoine mentally conceded. The supposed extinction of the unicorns wasn't the only inquiry he had regarding them. "Where have the unicorns been all this time? Or are you being the only one left? What are you doing here?"  
     
Stormblaze was perfectly willing to answer his questions. It wasn't a surprise that Antoine was so curious about him. After all, most of Mobius’ inhabitants believed that the unicorn race had completely vanished from the face of the planet over seven decades ago, driven into extinction by the human-like Overlanders who coveted their precious horns. It was widely known that the horn of a unicorn, known as alicorn, possessed great curative and mystical properties. A unicorn could heal wounds and many different kinds of diseases just by touching the afflicted creature with their horns. Furthermore, any toxin that came into contact with alicorn would dissipate and therefore become harmless, and alicorn could also act as conduit for mystical energy. Some even said that drinking the blood of a unicorn could grant immortality. While many Mobians and other creatures respected the stately unicorns, who often served as guardians of wild places and who would use their powers to help their fellow creatures, the Overlanders grew greedy and began actively hunting the unicorns. Countless unicorns had fallen victim to the specially-designed weapons and lethal traps that Overlanders who specialized in capturing unicorns, called Hunters, employed to catch and kill them. In fact, their brutal slaughter was one of several factors behind the origins of the infamous Great War, a vicious series of battles between the Mobians and the Overlanders that had lasted for years and years.  
     
"One question at a time, please." Stormblaze gently censured. "Now to answer your first one, thankfully no. I and others of my kind live on Avalonia. It's a hidden island off the coast of Mercia. Unfortunately, as far as I know we are the only glory – that's a herd of unicorns -- left. But I believe there is a possibility that other unicorns are living in hiding elsewhere on Mobius, and this is partly why I left Avalonia. I desire to know if we are truly the last of our kind."  
     
Antoine was going to remark that he as well as everyone else he knew had neither seen nor heard any reports of a single unicorn sighting for years, but thought better of it and held his tongue as Stormblaze continued with his story.  
     
"Recently, I returned to Avalonia because a good friend requested my presence there. As he explained, the Deep Power Stones had been stolen -"  
     
"Deep Power Stones? What are those being?" Antoine interrupted, peering keenly up at Stormblaze. He flinched, then tried smiling apologetically when Stormblaze gave him a reproachful glance.  
     
"I was going to explain, actually. The Deep Power Stones are a set of mystical jewels that my glory has protected for centuries. They can be fitted together like puzzle pieces, and depending on how they are combined can either wreak great destruction or grant great power to the wielder. The Stones were given to Pantalaimon the Wanderer by a group of monks, who asked that he protect them least some fiend desire to use them for evil. So they were passed down through his family. His descendants founded my glory, which is how they found their way into our care."  
     
Stormblaze didn't really need to explain who Pantalaimon the Wanderer was. A warrior who eventually put down the sword to become a monk and a scholar, he was a unicorn who had lived in the dawn of Mobius' medieval era. Although Pantalaimon, who was also simply known as "The Wanderer", was a somewhat mysterious figure in the annals of history as far as his personal life went, he was regarded by both unicorns and non-unicorns alike as one of the greatest creatures ever to walk Mobius, famed for his extensive knowledge of nature and acts of compassion and valor.  
     
"We believe that the Stones were stolen by a sorcerer by the name of Matthias Poe. I do not know much about him other than the fact that he was a member of the Order of Ixis. The Order of Ixis is, or rather, was a cult of sorcerers, heavily involved with fell magic and other things of that foul nature. My people and our allies have done battle with them several times before in the past, but were never quite successful at completely eradicating them. It is feared that Poe will use the Stones to carry out the Order's wicked schemes. I have been tasked by Queen Cassiopeia Autumnstar with the duty of finding Poe and recovering the Deep Power Stones so they can be returned to their rightful place."  
     
"How was Poe being able to get to Avalonia in the first place?" Antoine asked. "You said that no one knew unicorns were still around."  
     
"The bards of Avalonia are just as bewildered by that as you are. He must be a sorcerer of some power indeed." With a sigh, Stormblaze glanced back towards the cave's entryway. Outside, he could see that night had finally fallen. "Well? Still interested in assisting me on my venture?"    

" _Oui_ , very much so!" In spite of his previous interruptions, Antoine had listened to Stormblaze's story in rapt fascination. It sounded like something right out of a legend, and he thought it would make the perfect quest for him!  
     
Stormblaze laughed appreciatively at his eagerness. "Excellent. Shall we shake on it then, Master D'Coolette?" He proffered a hand that was nearly the size of a dinner plate towards Antoine, who took it and shook it vigorously. Once they sealed their deal, Stormblaze curiously regarded the coydog. "So what of you, friend? What is your tale?"  
     
"My tale?" Taken off-guard by the question, Antoine had to think for a moment. Ironically, for all his knowledge of etiquette, Antoine had the bad habit of engaging in a behavior that was frowned upon in the world of fine manners – boasting. He felt that if he wanted to get started on the path of becoming a true hero like his father, then he couldn't just very well say he was a misfit hoping to improve his standing among his peers so he could be knighted. It just didn't sound like a very good thing to say if you were looking to impress somebody. When he finally did answer Stormblaze, he tried to sound casual as possible.  
     
"Oh, uh, it is not that interesting, just that I am from Knothole Village in the Kingdom of Acorn. I am the son of General Armand and Lady Belle D'Coolette, and am also being the personal guard of the esteemed Princess Sally Acorn." As he got going, he felt his little white lie flowing out easier and easier.  
     
"None of the other Freedom Fighters are being as wise and bold as I am. Why once, when the princess was captured by Robotnik, I had to adventure deep into enemy territory and rescue her before she was roboticized. Double handily!" He added for good measure, placing a hand on his chest in a show of pride. "Then another time, I and one of my young _compagnons_ were being lost deep within the stomach of the forest. It was very dark and scary, and the angry spirits of the forest were hotfooting on our trails for trespassing on their land, but I was prevailing and led us both to safety!"  
     
Stormblaze raised his dark eyebrows at Antoine's dramatic narrative. "Is that so? Then how come you have not yet been knighted?"  
     
"It is because Princess Sally is seeming to be besotted by this foolish hedgehog named Sonic," He harrumphed. "I do not know why - he is being pompous and… ri-rid-rid…"  
     
"Ridiculous?"  
     
" _Oui_ , yes! Very ridiculous. But I am thinking that once I go upon this grand quest with you, she will be appreciating _moi_ more." Antoine grinned with pure delight at the idea..  
     
"Indeed." Stormblaze replied rather flatly as he watched Antoine daydream, his expression unreadable. </i>  
________________________________________  
  
     
Exhausted by all of the day’s excitement, it had taken Antoine no time at all to fall asleep. He lay curled up in his sleeping bag on the floor of the cave.  
     
Nearby, Stormblaze's muscular form was stretched out on a pile of dry grass, moss, and leaves he had collected together to create a makeshift pallet for himself. Sleep had not yet claimed him. Instead the unicorn lay awake by the glow of the fire he’d made earlier, thinking as he watched the vermillion flames dance to some unheard rhythm.  
     
While unicorns did not possess a dragon’s power to discern the truth from lies, they did have a power that could function in a similar matter: telempathy. Telempathy allowed them to sense and determine the emotions of other living beings, among a few other tricks. One of those tricks included knowing when said beings weren't being honest. Stormblaze's own telempathy told him that Antoine had become tense when questioned about his past earlier. That tenseness, Stormblaze guessed, stemmed from his lying about being a great hero. It wasn't hard for him to arrive at that conclusion. After all, Antoine had been lying on the ground shaking like a leaf when Stormblaze had chanced upon him and the lizard bandits. Hardly the behavior of any self-respecting knight-errant. Not just that, but it had taken him too long to answer the question in the first place, and when he finally did, he wouldn't make eye contact with Stormblaze, almost always looking elsewhere instead. Stormblaze had witnessed such behavior before in others who were being deceitful.  
     
It was disappointing. Here Stormblaze had been hoping to finally get some real assistance on his mission, only to have some silly little blowhard latch onto him in some misguided scheme to attain glory for himself instead. While Stormblaze was tough and knew more about the outside world than any other Avalonian unicorn did, he also understood that his knowledge wasn't absolute. He was going into a situation he didn't know much about, other then what Queen Cassiopeia and her bards had already told him. Once he actually found Poe, he might be out of his league in apprehending the sorcerer. Aside from his great strength, telempathy, and healing abilities, powers which all unicorns had, as well as the skills he had gained from his training as a warrior, he did not possess magic like that which a sorcerer or bard employed.  
     
The idea of returning to Avalonia empty-handed and further being branded a failure for not being able to reclaim the Deep Power Stones was too much for him. As if most of his glory didn't already regard him with contempt.  
     
Getting to his feet, Stormblaze made his way to the mouth of the cave, being careful not to wake Antoine as he did, and disappeared into the night.  
________________________________________  
  
     
"… An' then he took off, just like that!" Bunnie finished explaining to a small group consisting of Sally, Sonic, Dulcy, and Rotor. The five of them were leisurely congregating together on the lawn outside the cluster of huts which served as their respective abodes, having just finished breakfast. Sometime after Antoine had set off, when Bunnie knew the rest of her friends had arisen for the day, the cottontail rabbit informed them of his plans.  
     
From where he lounged on the grass, Sonic gave a derisive snort. The idea of Antoine running around by himself in the wilderness thinking he was a knight from some silly old fairy tale was pretty laughable to him. For crying out loud, the guy practically jumped at the sight of his own shadow! "I wondered why it was so quiet 'round here today. Anyone wanna bet old Ant'll be back in a couple of hours whining about how it was 'being too hard for him'?" He asked, mimicking the coydog's strong French accent.  
     
Rotor the walrus and the dragon Dulcy joined Sonic in his laughter.    
     
"I'll bet he's back in _thirty_ minutes." Rotor remarked.  
     
"I thought Antoine seemed a little down and out lately, but I never imagined he would go and do something like this." Sally thoughtfully commented from where she sat. She turned to the rest of her companions. "Should we form a search party and go after him?" As annoying and disruptive as Antoine could be, especially with his attempts at flirting with her, the chipmunk/red squirrel didn't hate him either, and didn't really like the idea of him running around by himself with no aid whatsoever. Sometimes it seemed like he could barely take care of himself in spite of his age.  
     
"I don't think he wants anyone comin' after him, Sally-girl," Bunnie said. "He barely wanted to tell me. I'm kinda worried about him, to be honest."  
     
"Aww who cares? He knows the way back." Sonic dismissively said, waving a white-gloved hand through the air, then after moment adding, "At least I think he does. Now, don't we have an upcoming spy mission to Robotropolis to talk about or something?"  
________________________________________  
  
     
It was Antoine's nose that woke him. The sharp tang of burning wood tickled his nostrils, causing him to sneeze, and he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing sunlight streaming into the cave, he realized it was morning. For a moment, he was confused about his whereabouts until yesterday's events came rushing back to him and he recalled where he was. He was amazed that he had come this far by himself without any help. Smugly, he thought to himself that perhaps he wasn't as weak and dull-witted as others made him out to be. He also felt privileged to be in the presence of an individual who was part of a highly-regarded long lost race. Of course he would be the one Freedom Fighter who’d make contact with a unicorn!  
     
Aside from burning wood, Antoine could also smell the delicious scent of something cooking, although he couldn't quite identify what it was. Yawning, he sat up and stretched his lanky arms overhead before noticing that Stormblaze had a small fire going. A tripod had also been constructed, and a pot was suspended from it, hanging over the flames. Stormblaze was tending to the pot's steamy contents, stirring it occasionally. Realizing that Antoine was up, he turned in his direction and smiled.  
     
"Ah, you have awakened. I hope you do not mind my using some of your cookware."  
     
"No, that is being fine." Antoine climbed out of his sleeping bag as he was reminded of just how hungry he felt. "I am thinking that I have not bought enough silverware though."  
     
"It won't be a problem. You may use them. After all, they do belong to you. I've managed without silverware before." Stormblaze ladled what Antoine guessed to be stew into a bowl for him and then served himself before handing the spoon to Antoine. He sat down next to Antoine on a log that had been bought into the cave to serve as impromptu seating.  
     
Curiously (and maybe a little apprehensively), Antoine peered down at the thick, chunky brown concoction in his bowl. "What is in this?"  
     
Stormblaze was blowing on his stew to cool it down. Stopping, he wryly remarked, "Not used to rustic cooking, are we?"  
     
"Well, this is being my first time at ruffling it." Antoine replied a touch defensively.  
     
"Roughing it, you mean?"  
     
" _Oui_. Back home, I could be getting vegetables from the garden, and we are having many different foods to choose from in our pantries." Knothole didn't exactly have everything – they were in the middle of a war, after all – but he thought they had a rather nice selection of food, all things considered.  
     
"Well, I am afraid that out here, one must often make do with what nature provides you. In regards to your question, the ingredients I used were several different kinds of plant roots, wild onions, stream water, and mushrooms. Just be happy I chose to omit the tree bark this time."  
     
His curiosity sated (he didn't want to be eating something like swamp water and twigs without knowing it, after all), Antoine dug in. It wasn't quite as good as his own cooking of course, but he still had to give Stormblaze credit for the hearty meal. After he was through, he decided to help himself to a second bowl.  
     
Stormblaze was quickly on his third one, holding his bowl up to his lips and tipping the stew back into his awaiting mouth. Stopping and swallowing, he spoke again. "Before we depart today, I have one last piece of business to attend to here."  
     
Antoine glanced over at him questioningly. "What kind of business?"  
     
"There is a local thug by the name of Bogg who lives in the hills nearby. He is a dozen times worse than those two blockheads you ran into yesterday at the bridge. A robber and a cold-blooded murderer that one is. I cannot leave in good conscience without putting an end to his reign of terror. Once, he robbed a group of travelers and buried them up to their necks. In butcher ant mounds." He added, emphasizing the last part.  
     
That really got Antoine's attention. He stared at Stormblaze, horror written on his features. "He _what_?"  
     
Stormblaze nodded solemnly. "Oh yes. If you please, I would prefer not to go on – after that point, it's far too terrible a tale to speak of." Shutting his eyes, he gave a rueful shake of his head.  
     
That was perfectly fine with Antoine. He had the feeling that he would be having nightmares for weeks if he heard the rest of that story. "Are you actually to be fighting this scoundrel?" He asked before having another spoonful of stew.  
     
"You and I, yes."  
     
Antoine began choking wildly, spraying stew everywhere. "What?" He managed to gasp out in a strangled voice after a few seconds or so.  
     
Stormblaze gave him a concerned look. "Oh, is the stew too spicy? I have some water if you desire some."  
     
" _Non_ , I will be alright." Antoine replied after coughing some more. "D-d-d-did you just say that the both of us will be fighting him?"  
     
"Well, yes," Stormblaze gave a matter-of-fact shrug. "You said you are a great warrior back where you come from, did you not? Unless you were exaggerating..." He stared pointedly at Antoine.  
     
"Er, _pas_. Never!" Antoine vehemently shook his head, trying to ignore the little voice in the back of his mind that was telling him to quit while he was ahead. Oh, what had he gotten himself into _now_? "Of course I am being a great warrior! You have my sword!"  
     
Stormblaze smirked mirthlessly. "Very well then."  
________________________________________  
  
     
Now that breakfast was over with, Antoine made preparations for the day. He and Stormblaze packed up the supplies and made sure to put the fire out before leaving the cave. Antoine then followed Stormblaze as they headed into the hilly countryside where Bogg was supposed to live. Perhaps this fight wouldn't be as dangerous as Antoine thought. After all, Stormblaze would be there with him, and he had heard that unicorns could be quite fierce when angered. His longbow was taller than Antoine himself was, and he certainly looked as if he could wield both it and his sword like a tried and true warrior.  
     
However, when Antoine actually caught his first glimpse of Bogg, his hopes died faster than a flower in the middle of winter. Stormblaze indicated to Antoine that they should stop, and they took cover in a ravine behind a dense coppice of brush and young trees. Noticing a large dark-colored object further down the slope ahead of them, Antoine pointed it out to his companion.  
     
"Is he being behind that boulder?"  
     
"Boulder?" Stormblaze laughed. Before they had started out, he had called upon his magical disguise, which Antoine learned was referred to as a 'glamour', and now looked like a draft horse again. "That's no boulder, that's him."  
     
Antoine's ears drooped, and, wide-eyed with dread, he stared at Bogg. Stormblaze gave no sign of having noticed this or Antoine's sudden silence. Instead he whispered, "Well, you have seen battle before. How would you propose we do this?"  
     
"Er… I…" Antoine really couldn't think just then, being more focused on the frightful thought that that day might very well be his last on the planet, so Stormblaze took the liberty of offering a suggestion.  
     
"Since the sun is to our backs, perhaps we can use that and the surrounding cover to our advantage and employ a stealthy approach?"  
     
" _Oui, oui!_ That is sounding good!" Antoine quickly agreed. "I will be, um, b-bringing up the rear in case he is circulating around us."  
     
Smiling, Stormblaze gave a nod of concurrence. "What a wise idea."  
     
As the duo slipped down the hill, drawing ever closer to their target, they could see that Bogg, who was a burly brown bear standing slightly taller than Stormblaze did, appeared to be in the process of cleaning out his den. Noticing that some of the items Bogg had brought out included a pitchfork, a shovel, and an axe, Antoine gulped nervously.  
     
Finally catching sight of the two, Bogg snarled and pointed a large claw in Stormblaze's direction. "You! I told you if I ever saw your mangy hide around here again I'd tear you to shreds!"  
     
Stormblaze smirked defiantly at the bear. "Not likely, you tub of rancid lard. For you see, I have returned with a great warrior at my side." He indicated Antoine, who peered timidly at Bogg from behind him. "Make no mistake, this will be the last dawn you'll ever see."  
     
Bogg gave a thunderous roar of laughter, showing off his many large pointed teeth as he did. "Come on then! I've eaten many things before, but never a horse and a coyote!"  
     
Stormblaze knelt beside Antoine, his expression deathly serious. "Antoine, I know that your skills as a warrior are unparalleled. Do you wish to attack first?"  
     
"Uh, w-w-well, I…" Antoine trailed off, his heart racing a mile a minute. He wanted adventure, true, but this was all happening too fast for him to process. He kind of wanted the adventure to happen on his terms.  
     
Again Stormblaze took the liberty of answering for him. "Oh, so you wish for me to soften him up for you first? Very well then." Grim determination on his face, Stormblaze stood and faced down the ursine.  
     
"Watch out Bogg, here I come!" He roared before charging straight at his foe as Antoine looked on, aghast. He couldn't very well stand by and let Stormblaze fight that monster by himself, but how on Mobius could somebody like him fight someone as big and powerful as Bogg? All the bear had to do was swipe at him one time and he'd be a messy splatter of blood and fur on the ground.  
       
Unable to witness what would doubtless be a scene of carnage and brutality, a trembling Antoine shielded his eyes with his hands and gritted his teeth, waiting to hear the horrific sounds of combat -- snarls, bones breaking, screams, laughter… laughter?  
       
Antoine peeked from between his fingers. Bogg and Stormblaze were rolling around on the ground, holding their stomachs and roaring with laughter!  
     
Wiping away a tear that was running down his face as his mirth began subsiding, Bogg glanced over at Stormblaze. "That was some truly awful acting, Eddie. But really, 'tub of rancid lard'? Jeez, laying it on kinda thick there, weren't you?"  
     
"Oh shut up," "Eddie" good-naturedly retorted as he got back to his hooves. "You know I said we had to make it look as real as possible."  
     
Antoine stared at the strange scene in confusion and disbelief. Hadn't they been ready to kill each other only seconds ago? "W-wha – I thought -"  
     
"It was all just an act, kid." Bogg said, looking his way. He seemed slightly less frightening when he wasn't bellowing at the top of his lungs and threatening someone, but Antoine was still a little leery of him. "No hard feelings."  
     
Antoine couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But… but why would you be tricking _moi_?"  
     
Stormblaze fixed him with a frosty glare. "Because you were being a deceitful little braggart, that is why. Any fool with half a mind could see through those absurd stories you told about saving the princess and what not. So I recruited Bogg here to help me teach you a little lesson."  
     
"So the stories about him being a robber and putting Mobians in butcher ant mounds -?"  
     
"Are completely false." Stormblaze finished. "Bogg here is more inclined to talk your ear off rather than murder you in cold blood."  
     
Bogg shot Stormblaze a flabbergasted look. "You told him I stuck Mobians in butcher ant mounds?"  
     
Stormblaze shrugged. "I had to make you sound frightening, did I not? Anyways Bogg, I thank you for your assistance here today, but I must be going." Stormblaze gave Bogg's meaty paw a firm shake before sending another scathing look in Antoine's direction. "And you - let that be a lesson to you about bragging and lying."  
     
And with that, he was off.  
________________________________________  
  
     
After Stormblaze's revelation, Antoine remained where he was, rooted to the spot in his shock. His mouth hung open as he stared after the departing unicorn. He couldn't believe Stormblaze had just tricked him like that. To think that Antoine had actually trusted him! He thought unicorns were supposed to be noble and benevolent. They didn't go around pretending to be nice and tricking innocent Mobians. Stormblaze was no better than Sonic. In fact, Antoine believed that if Sonic had been the one to encounter Stormblaze instead of him, Sonic likely would have never gotten himself into such a situation in the first place. He and Stormblaze would have become the best of friends, and Stormblaze would be yet another Mobian who thought Sonic was the best thing since the discovery of the Power Ring.  
     
Bogg offered him a sympathetic look and a jar of pickled salmon, but Antoine politely if somewhat snippily refused (one look at those claws of his reminded Antoine that he would be wise not to get _too_ sharp with Bogg) and stormed off in the direction opposite of where Stormblaze had gone, glowering darkly the entire time. He wanted to get as far away from the scene of his disgrace as possible and return to his own quest.  
     
While he didn't really want to, he couldn't help but continue ruminating on the bad turn his brief partnership with Stormblaze had taken. This wasn't the first time Antoine's boasting had backfired on him. But this time he had managed to alienate someone who could have helped him on his quest and even become a potential friend, something Antoine seemed to be lacking in. For one thing, even in the short amount of time they had spent in one another's company, Antoine had come to notice that Stormblaze had more patience with him then most of the Freedom Fighters usually did. For example, he never seemed to get annoyed with Antoine for mispronouncing or misunderstanding some English expression or word, or pointedly ignored him when he did, but calmly corrected him instead. Stormblaze had also chosen to reveal his true identity to Antoine, a potentially risky move on his part. He was fortunate that Antoine was not in Robotnik's employ or something like that. Did that mean that he actually trusted Antoine with his secret? No one had ever really treated him like a confidant before, not since his leaving La Valette anyways.  
     
Antoine hated to admit when he was wrong, but… was it possible that he was actually the one at fault here? If he had only been honest in the first place, then perhaps things might have turned out differently.  
     
_‘Stupid, stupid! How could I have done something so stupid?’_ Running his fingers through his blond hair with a light groan, Antoine realized he was going to have to swallow his pride if he wanted to become one of the greatest knights Mobius had ever seen before. Abruptly he switched directions, racing as fast as his gangly legs could carry him back to where he had last seen Stormblaze going.  
       
Frantically, Antoine's eyes raked the hills for the unicorn. Sure enough, there was Stormblaze trudging off in a southerly direction. Antoine dashed off after him, trying to avoid the gullies and other natural obstacles in his path. Although he still managed to stumble a couple of times, he quickly picked himself back up again and continued pursuing Stormblaze. He couldn't lose what could be his one chance of finally being able to become a knight!  
     
"Stormblaze, wait!"  
     
Stormblaze gave no sign of having heard him, although Antoine didn't doubt that he was intentionally ignoring him. Putting on an extra burst of speed, he finally succeeded in catching up with Stormblaze and dared to reach out and grab the hem of his tunic. “Stop! Please let me come with you! I-I can be paying you anything you want!”  
     
Stopping, Stormblaze turned to glare coldly at Antoine, who looked back at him with a pitiful expression. "Keep your credits." He growled. “I do not have time to stroke your ego or play childish games, pup. The task I have is very important. All of Mobius may depend on it."  
     
Antoine released his grip on Stormblaze's tunic and hung his head. "You are right. I am very sorry for lying." When Stormblaze did not immediately respond, he asked, "Was it being that obtuse of a lie?"  
     
For a moment, Stormblaze levelly regarded him, trying to decipher Antoine's mixed-up English in his mind. "I suppose you mean obvious? Well, my telempathy told me you were being dishonest about something, and truthfully, your behavior at the bridge did not strike me as being very knight-like," He gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. "So I put two and two together."  
     
"You lie about being a horse." Antoine sullenly mumbled under his breath.  
     
"I am forced to use a glamour for my own protection. I most certainly do not pretend to be a horse for the fun of it, so _do not_ try and compare the two."  
     
Feeling Stormblaze's harsh glare on him, Antoine didn't look up or even attempt to mount another argument in his defense. After a moment of silence between them, Stormblaze asked, "Why did you feel the need to obscure the truth of your situation? You are far too old to be behaving in such a manner." He now sounded more curious then angry.  
     
Deeply embarrassed, Antoine could only awkwardly rub the back of his neck. He absolutely _hated_ being scolded like he was ten years old again. It was somehow worse when it was someone close to his own age doing the scolding. "I just did not want to look like the fool, like I am always seeming to." He confessed. "I am no great hero back home. I am always being the butter of the joke instead, and was not wanting you to laugh at _moi_ either." In spite of himself, he could feel a lump forming in his throat. That was just great. The last thing he wanted to do was break down in front of Stormblaze.  
     
Antoine carefully avoided Stormblaze's eyes, instead focusing on the front of his uniform and pretending to brush dust from it. "I will be leaving now." He mumbled in a defeated tone.  
     
Turning to leave, he was taken off guard when he felt himself being lifted off the ground by the collar of his uniform. His ears fell back against his head as he was brought face to face with Stormblaze, who bore a serious expression as he fixed the nervous Antoine with his gimlet gaze.  
     
"You may come with me.” Stormblaze said. “But I will have no more of these falsehoods or empty boasts, do you hear me?"  
     
Antoine could scarcely believe his ears. He blinked a few times before finding his voice again. " _Merci beaucoup_! You have _mon_ promise!" He happily proclaimed, bobtail wagging with puppy-like joy. Throwing a hasty salute, he added, "You will not be regretting this, _monsieur_!"  
     
Stormblaze set Antoine back down. "I hope not." Sitting on a nearby rock, he leaned forward, arms folded over his knees as he faced Antoine. "Now, let us try this again. What is your tale? Your _real_ one?"  
     
Taking a deep breath, Antoine grudgingly began, starting off with his parents and their ambiguous fates, then moving onto his problems in Knothole and what inspired him to leave in search of a quest. He didn't cover every single thing that had ever happened to him in his lifetime, but did give a more truthful account about himself. He was surprised not to see Stormblaze sniggering or eying him with unspoken condemnation or anything of the sort. Instead, he merely nodded at certain points but mostly remained stone-faced and silent, though at certain intervals, such as when Antoine mentioned the bullying he often received at Sonic's hands and the love triangle between himself, Sonic, and Sally, his expression grew strangely pained.  
     
”… Since my papa is being such a great hero, I am wanting to be just like him so I can carry on his legacy." Antoine finally ended his story. Since he and Stormblaze had been there talking, he’d made himself comfortable, having taken a seat on a soft patch of grass. By then the sun had risen high into the sky, signaling that it was noon.  
     
Stormblaze gazed somberly at him. "You should not have feared ridicule by telling me the truth. We have more in common then you realize."  
     
Antoine stared at Stormblaze. What on Mobius did he have in common with a unicorn knight of all things? "We do?"  
     
Stormblaze turned to gaze at the landscape from atop the crest they were on, out towards distant broad green fields, wooded knolls, and winding roads. There was a faraway look in his gray eyes. "The other reason that I chose to leave Avalonia is because I feel as though I do not truly belong there. I am not like the other unicorns in my glory. I do not fear and despise the outside world as they do. Rather, I have always wanted to travel Mobius and see its many lands for myself just like the Wanderer. This desire has always made me an outsider. Also, my family's name has been blackened by vile rumors, and that gives my fellows another reason to further shun and deride me." he Looking back at Antoine again. "That is why I wish to seek out other glories, to find a place where I can finally be accepted for who I am."  
     
At first Antoine didn't know what to say, but was glad he had told Stormblaze the truth. To think that only yesterday he had believed that there was no one out there who could understand him. But there he was, sitting and talking with someone who knew what it was like to be a pariah in their own home and was seeking acceptance. It was odd how fate worked sometimes.  
     
There was a troubling factor to Stormblaze's story as well. Everyone had always said unicorns were kind and just beings, so to hear of them mistreating one of their own was startling. He was tempted to ask Stormblaze just what sort of rumors had been spread about his family, but then got the impression that it might be better if he waited a while before questioning him about the matter. Stormblaze might not be willing to discuss such a personal subject just yet.  
     
"If you like, I could be helping you find other unicorns." Antoine offered. "And if we are not, then maybe you can be coming back to Knothole with _moi_? The princess would allow it, I am sure."  
     
Listening to Antoine's attempts at making him feel better, Stormblaze allowed himself a slight smile. Perhaps this _coimtrioch_ wasn't as self-centered as he first thought. "Thank you. I appreciate your offer," He said, getting up. "But first, let us focus on the tasks at hand - recovering the Stones, and helping you out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **French:**
> 
>  
> 
> Compagnon: Companion.
> 
> Merci beaucoup: Thank you very much.
> 
> Mes: My.
> 
> Pas: No.
> 
>  
> 
> **Words used by Stormblaze:**
> 
>  
> 
> Coimtrioch: Foreigner.
> 
> Solsihg: Reveal.


	3. Chapter 3

Antoine returned to the cave where he had spent the night to retrieve his knapsack, which he had almost forgotten in fit of his anger at Stormblaze's deception. That done, he and Stormblaze were really ready to be off now. It was a fresh new start for them both, and Antoine was eager to get on Stormblaze's good side after his earlier _faux pas_.  
     
"What is it that we are to be doing today, Stormblaze?" He asked as he and the unicorn strolled through the forest side by side.  
     
"We will be going south, to a small hamlet called Rose Creek." Stormblaze replied. He had been pleased to discover that Antoine had a map on his person, as prior to meeting him he had to rely on directions from other Mobians he ran into. Good maps could be hard to come by in these times, as he had discovered. "I have learned that there is a former member of the Order of Ixis living there, and would like to question him regarding Poe and his plans."  
     
"Like an interrogation, _oui_?" Antoine thoughtfully asked.  
     
Stormblaze shrugged casually. "More or less."  
     
"I have never been interrogating someone before. Is it being hard?"  
     
"That depends. Have you ever cut off someone's ear in order to force him to talk before?"  
     
When Antoine froze, staring at Stormblaze in horrified disbelief, the unicorn quickly raised his hands, an apologetic look on his face. "It was only a joke. I would never do anything like that."  
     
Antoine relaxed. "Do not be scaring _moi_ like that!" He scolded Stormblaze, who began laughing.  
     
Managing to rein his amusement in, Stormblaze replied, "Alright, alright, I apologize. No harm was meant."  
     
Antoine wasn't particularly mad at Stormblaze for his joke just then - now rather annoyed, sure. He himself had never been much for making jokes, after all. But he couldn't remain irritated for long. He was still eaten up with curiosity about his traveling companion. Unless he happened to be deliberately ignoring someone, long silences were not comfortable for Antoine. Therefore he was quick to speak to up once more. "I was telling you about _ma famille_ earlier, but you have not been saying much about your own. I would like to be hearing more about them. Um, if you are not minding speaking of them, that is."  
     
"Never shy away from asking questions. They are a good way of learning." Stormblaze sagely stated. "If I find your inquiry too forward or personal, then I simply shall not answer."  
     
Emboldened by that, Antoine asked, "What are your father and mother being like? Are you having any siblings?"  
     
"I am an only child, so I have never known what it is like to have a sibling. Both my parents still live. My father serves as a knight in the queen's war band, while my mother is a professional healer. My father believes that I am only trying to flee my problems on Avalonia by leaving there. I merely do not see any point in continuing to live in a place where a majority of the populace loathes me."  
     
"Are you and your father not getting along then?"  
     
Stormblaze gave him a sidelong glance. "I do not dislike my father or anything like that, if that is what you are inquiring. We simply do not see eye-to-eye on certain matters."  
     
"It is being good that you and your father are not hating one another. I think it is sad when anyone does not like their own parents."  
     
"Well, I have heard of and even known some Mobians who possess reasons for hating their parents that are actually quite valid, but I believe you are ultimately right."  
     
As they continued to pleasantly chat with one another, Stormblaze found he liked talking with Antoine. When not being pretentious like before when talking about his imaginary exploits, Antoine was actually an interesting and surprisingly honest conversationalist, even if he tended to be overly serious and naive. Earlier, Stormblaze wondered if he had gone too far with his trick. True, Antoine was full of himself and had tried to deceive him, but ultimately he was harmless. Still, perhaps the ruse had served its purpose of teaching him that puffery was a fool's game.  
     
Stormblaze decided it would be prudent to try and determine where Antoine's talents lay. If he was going to be teaching him, then he needed to know what specific areas Antoine needed help in and whether or not he had any skills under his belt already. "What of your strengths?"  
     
Somewhat surprised by the query, Antoine craned his neck to look up at Stormblaze. "You mean how strong I am being? Not very."  
     
Stormblaze shook his head. "Not that sort of strength. I mean what sorts of skills and talents do you possess?"  
     
"Um…" Antoine thought for a minute. "Nothing. I am not super-fast like Sonic, I am not brave, I cannot fly, and I am not a good leader. I was trying to help one of _mes amis_ in his workshop before, but I messed that up too." His ears drooped at the memory.  
     
"Everyone has something that they're good at," Stormblaze said reassuringly. "Take me for example. I've been using a longbow since I was ten summers. Now I can shoot an apple off of someone's head from over fifty feet away." Smiling a little, he mimed firing a longbow.  
     
Wide-eyed, Antoine regarded Stormblaze. That _was_ extraordinary. "How can I be finding something I am good at?" He asked, intrigued by what Stormblaze was saying. If he could discover a useful skill that he and only he possessed, then it could really help him and the other Freedom Fighters!  
     
"I'm afraid that is something you shall have to discover on your own," He replied, much to Antoine's disappointment. "But I do believe you are stronger then what you think yourself to be."  
     
Antoine's cynical countenance spoke volumes about what he thought of that.  
     
"Do you believe I jest? Consider this then. If you were a true coward, then you how could you bring yourself to go with your band every time they embarked on a mission? A true coward would have run and hid somewhere, but instead you continued getting into the thick of things."  
     
"That is not being the same thing. The princess, Sonic, Rotor, Dulcy and Bunnie are still all being braver then _moi_." Antoine moodily said, kicking at a small stone in his path.  
     
"My mentor once told me that it is not how one feels that makes them brave, but their actions." Stormblaze calmly insisted. "You will come to see this in time."  
     
Antoine still wasn't so sure about that. He supposed it was a miracle that he had somehow managed to continue going out on missions with the other Freedom Fighters, but he believed destroying SWATBots and leading raids into Robotropolis against Robotnik was an entirely different animal from just trailing after the real heroes. He couldn't understand why Stormblaze, who was still largely a stranger to him, was so willing to place his faith in him when no one else was.  
       
After this conversation, they mostly continued on in silence. When a couple of hours had flown by, Stormblaze glanced over at Antoine. In spite of the fact that his normally neatly-coiffed hair was now tousled and it was plain to see that he was exhausted, to his credit Antoine hadn't complained a bit. If he was trying to impress Stormblaze, then it was working. Stormblaze himself felt as though he could last several more miles. Unicorns were not camels, but could travel on foot for an entire day if they had the appropriate amount of rest, food, and water along the way. But it would certainly be selfish of him to ignore Antoine's plight, especially when he was clearly making such an effort to get on his good side.  
       
"Perhaps we should stop, Little Wolf? I would hate to have to drag you the rest of the way there." Stormblaze wryly offered. "Little Wolf" was the rather curious nickname Stormblaze had bestowed upon Antoine, though the latter certainly liked it better then "Ant" or "Antsy", both of which Sonic used for him and were meant to be derogatory. When Antoine had asked Stormblaze how he had come up with the nickname, he pointed out that dogs and coyotes were related to wolves.  
       
Panting, Antoine nodded his agreement. They wound up stopping alongside a babbling brook that cut through the forested landscape. There along the bank, the trees weren't quite as dense as elsewhere, allowing sunlight to reflect off the water's surface and lend it a brilliant white glimmer. Antoine used his knapsack as a headrest as he sprawled out on the grass and laid there while Stormblaze settled down near the bank.  
     
Deciding that now would be an opportune time for a snack, Stormblaze plucked a handful of grass and chewed it, savoring the fresh, slightly sweet flavor. As he helped himself to some more, he caught Antoine staring at him like he had suddenly grown an extra head or something.  
       
"Er, I am having some food if you are wanting some." Antoine offered, sitting up as he made to open his knapsack.  
     
"Quite unnecessary. For the moment, anyways," Stormblaze smirked, waving him off. "Unicorns eat grass."  
     
"Oh. Er, pardon _moi_ , but it is just that I have never seen anyone eat grass before." Clearly Antoine was slightly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on the subject, but Stormblaze didn't fault him for it. He really didn't expect him to know much about the eating habits of unicorns.  
     
"You should try some. spring grass really is quite flavorful. And there are so many wonderful varieties." The unicorn said before helping himself to another mouthful.  
     
Disgusted, Antoine wrinkled his nose before noticing Stormblaze's playful smile and smiling a bit himself. He really enjoyed talking with Stormblaze. It was wonderful to be able to speak with someone who didn't act as though he was stupid, was dismissive of him, or otherwise treated him cruelly. The only other Mobians whom he felt he like he could converse with on a similar level were Bunnie, Rosie, and Tails.  
     
Once Stormblaze had had his fill, he pointed to the sabre hanging from Antoine's sword belt. "How well can you wield that?"  
     
"Not very well." Antoine hesitantly admitted. "I was not finishing my training because I was having to leave La Valette for my safety."  
     
"Then we will have to remedy that, won't we?"  
     
"You mean you will be teaching _moi_ how to be a better swordsman then?" Antoine regarded him hopefully.  
     
Stormblaze smirked again. "I will. May I?" He glanced at the sabre again.  
     
Understanding what he was requesting, Antoine slid the sabre from out its sheath and handed it over to Stormblaze. In his massive hand, the sword almost looked like a long curved knife due to being crafted for a much shorter wielder. He thoroughly studied the entirety of the blade, examining it and testing its heft. Then he stood and expertly twirled the sabre around before performing a few experimental feints with it. The weapon whistled like the wind as Stormblaze pretended to slice and stab at invisible targets.  
     
Turning back to Antoine, who had sat up in order to better see the display, Stormblaze returned the sabre, seriously commenting, "A fine weapon this is."  
     
Antoine couldn't help but grin with pride at the compliment. When the refugees from the Acorns' palace had arrived in Knothole, they found that the village had already been prepared for the arrival of inhabitants, having been used by the royal family as a secret retreat on prior occasions. Among other things, there was a cache of weapons hidden there. It was in this cache that Antoine had discovered something special: a handsome sabre stored inside a sword case. It appeared to be entirely brand new and unused, and with Antoine being the only (novice) swordsman in the group, he had immediately claimed it as his own. However, Rosie and Cat wouldn't let him actually handle the sabre until he was thirteen, fearing for his safety as well as that of the other youngsters. Before then though, he had often spent time cleaning and polishing the weapon, waiting for the day when he would finally be able to wield it like a true knight in defense of the kingdom.  
     
"A knight must always be keeping his blade in good condition, no?" He proudly said before adding, "Er… well, a future knight."  
     
"Indeed." Antoine's quick amendment made Stormblaze lightly smile in amusement.  
     
Antoine suddenly remembered something Stormblaze had mentioned earlier which had piqued his curiosity. "You said you were having a mentor before. Who is he?" He asked.  
     
When Stormblaze did not immediately answer, Antoine wondered if he had heard him. He noticed Stormblaze seemed to be staring at something in the sky, but when he followed his line of sight, didn't see anything of note.  
     
He started to repeat his query again when Stormblaze finally answered, "Sir Connery."  
     
" _The_ Sir Connery?"  
     
Seeing Antoine's awed expression, Stormblaze couldn't contain another wisecrack. For him, it was just too fun to tease the poor boy. "You know, if you keep doing that, something's going to end up flying right into your mouth."  
     
Not catching the joke, Antoine quickly shut his mouth, revolted by the thought of an insect or something winding up in his mouth. But he was unable contain his zeal for long and just _had_ to start talking again. "He is only being one of the greatest knights ever to serve King Acorn! Everyone was thinking he had been killed or roboticized like all the others! How did you meet him?" In his excitement, he had begun hustling back and forth and gesticulating wildly.  
     
A Fresian horse, Sir Connery had served under Antoine's father, and the two had been close friends. When Robotnik had struck, Sir Connery was away visiting an ill cousin in another kingdom, and had not been seen since. There were dark whispers that he’d either turned coward or was too ashamed by the fact that he had not been present to protect his liege to return to the Acorn Kingdom, but Antoine refused to believe any of that. A true hero like Sir Connery would never give up or run away when innocents were in danger, he believed. Antoine had always hoped and prayed that Connery would return someday to assist the Freedom Fighters in their struggle.  
     
Stormblaze placidly waited for Antoine to calm down somewhat before beginning his tale. "Well, this occurred well before I was sent to recover the Deep Power Stones, when I had just arrived on the mainland from Avalonia. I was walking alone when I heard the sounds of combat nearby and decided to investigate. As it turns out, it was Sir Connery in the midst of battle with several SWATBots. I was caught up in the fighting when one of the robots noticed me, but together he and I made short work of them. Afterwards, he explained to me about Robotnik, and how he had returned to his kingdom only to find it overrun by smoke-spewing factories and hostile robots, and his friends nowhere to be found."  
     
"Now, you should probably know that in those days I was… er, not as… composed as I am now." Obviously the unicorn found this revelation to be an embarrassing one. Clearing his throat after his minor pause, he continued. "Anyways, Connery told me that he was trying to raise a resistance against Robotnik. I plainly told him that I was not interested in his fight and continued on my way. Neither Robotnik nor his sympathizers were pleased that we had destroyed so many of his precious SWATBots, so a larger contingent of soldiers was sent after me. Being careless and arrogant, I foolishly allowed myself to be caught in an ambush. Let me tell you, I would not be here speaking to you today were it not for Connery. He happened to be in the area at the time and saved my life. The experience thoroughly humbled me, and I decided to travel with him from then on. He taught me much." He stopped again.  
     
"What happened?" Antoine cautiously asked. Stormblaze's sudden silence struck him as rather ominous.  
     
"Well, we did manage to raise a resistance group. As you can imagine, soon there were patrols out searching everywhere for us. At the time, we were hiding in Dacia with an old nobleman friend of Connery's. As you may already be aware of, Dacia is a mountainous region, and this fellow's home was built up in the mountains. That treacherous bastard had been working for Robotnik the entire time." Although Stormblaze's face had become expressionless, almost rigid, the quiet rage in his voice actually frightened Antoine a little. "My telempathy warned me there was something not quite right about him, though I could not ascertain what exactly, but Connery reassured me he could be trusted. Still though, I decided I would not rest until I could prove my suspicions were correct."  
     
"While we rested, the noble told Robotnik we were at his home, and he sent his troops to apprehend us. I had decided that Connery could be trusted with my secret and finally told him exactly how I knew the nobleman was not trustworthy. I recall him being surprised, yet not greatly so – he told me that he’d found my ignorance of the outside world rather peculiar. Anyways, we managed to escape the manor and head down a trail that was beside a steep cliff, but the enemy was numerous, so Connery told me to go ahead while he covered our escape. The ground in the area must have been unstable. It collapsed beneath their combined weight. Connery ended up falling into the chasm below, but succeeded in taking a number of the fiends with him."  
     
Antoine was speechless. No wonder Stormblaze had been so hesitant to discuss Sir Connery. Antoine couldn't believe that he was actually dead. For a moment his heart had thrilled at the idea of the distinguished knight being out there somewhere fighting Robotnik. His heart went out to Stormblaze. He had obviously grown close to Sir Connery in the time he had known him. Saying "I'm sorry for your loss" just didn't seem like enough.  
     
Finally, Antoine swallowed hard, hoping that what he was going to say would not only be appropriate but comforting as well. "My father… he was always saying that Sir Connery was a great knight and a great Mobian. He was being a hero to the very end."  
     
Stormblaze didn't respond verbally, but acknowledged Antoine with a nod of his head. After a moment he asked, "Your father knew Connery personally then?"  
     
"They were serving together under the king and were also being good _amis_."  
     
"Hmm. You know, it is rather funny that your father and my mentor worked together." Stormblaze thoughtfully remarked. <,br>  
     
Antoine scratched his head, his expression quizzical. "Er… funny ha-ha?" He couldn't see how this was a laughing matter.  
     
"No, funny as in ironic. In this case, irony refers to a quirk of fate. See, Connery was one of your father's men, and then he became my mentor. Now I am training you."  
     
Now understanding him, Antoine nodded. "Now that you are mentioning it, I suppose it is."  
     
"Well, shall we depart?" Stormblaze asked. "I believe we have dawdled here long enough."  
     
Antoine agreed. Before leaving, he decided to refill his canteen, which was running low. Unclasping the item from where it was hooked onto his knapsack, he approached the stream.  
     
"Wait." He stopped as Stormblaze came to stand at the water's edge.  
     
"I was not going to be drinking it now…" Antoine began to explain. He knew all about the dangers of not boiling water from streams and the like before drinking it: this had been drilled into the Freedom Fighters' heads from the time they were small. He trailed off when he saw Stormblaze get down on his hands and knees and lower his head towards the flowing water. The tip of his horn broke the surface, causing it to gently ripple at the sudden intrusion. As Antoine watched in wonder and fascination, waves of bright white light began to emanate from his horn, joining the already-present ripples in spreading across the body of water.  
     
Antoine realized what was happening. He remembered being a pup when Rosie told him and the other children about one of the most famous powers of unicorns, the ability to cleanse liquids of impurities. "Ah! You are pureeing the water!" He exclaimed.  
     
Standing, Stormblaze looked over at Antoine as he dusted his hands off. The white light in the water was now slowly fading away. "Purifying the water," He corrected. "We unicorns call it water-conning. But you are correct. I decided to save you the trouble and determine if this burn was clean or not. My horn detected some impurities, but they are gone now. Try it now."  
     
Antoine studied the stream to see if it looked any different from before. It didn't. Where the current wasn't churning white as it rushed downstream, the stony bottom could be clearly seen. He scooped some water into his cupped hands and tried it. His face brightened. "This is the best water I have ever had!"  
     
Watching the coydog fill his canteen, a smile dawned on Stormblaze's muzzle. "I would hope so, or else my powers are getting rusty." He waited until Antoine was finished before the both of them started off.  
     
As the pair walked together, Stormblaze reflected on what he had learned so far as well as the situation at hand. The last thing he wanted to do was drag a poorly trained mortal who had his whole life ahead of him into a dangerous situation, so teaching Antoine the art of combat was a must. He knew it was going to be tricky, juggling the hunt for the Deep Power Stones and trying to train Antoine at the same time. But still, he believed training Antoine was something his mentor would have wanted him to do. He imagined Sir Connery would be pleased to learn that Stormblaze had imparted the knowledge he had learned from him onto another Mobian who needed it. Antoine was certainly someone in need of guidance: whenever Stormblaze looked at him, he was reminded of a young aervwinger that hadn't learned how to fly yet and was grounded in the middle of a storm with no place to go. Rather like himself before departing Avalonia. He saw that Antoine had the makings of a great warrior within him, but would very likely have a long road to travel before he could claim such a title.  
     
_'No one should ever have to weather life's trials alone.'_ he thought.  
________________________________________  
     
It was only the third day of their journey when Stormblaze, sensing moistness in the wind, told Antoine that he suspected a rainstorm would be heading their way soon, but he knew of a place where they could stay the night.  
     
Antoine followed Stormblaze as he led him through heavily overgrown forest a trail that, at times, was difficult for even someone of his small stature to maneuver through. When he thought he couldn't go any further, Antoine saw they were nearing a fallen tree trunk in a clearing. What made this log different from any of the other ones in the area was that it was a spiritwood, a tree related to the great sequoias and redwoods of the western coast, as its massive size indicated. Another thing which set the spiritwood log apart was that it had been converted into a bar/inn. A double row of shuttered windows lined its sides, and a simple wooden door had been cut into the stump, with a canopy constructed over it to protect customers from the elements. A sign hanging over the door announced in bold red letters 'The Watering Hole'.  
     
Antoine and Stormblaze stood under the canopy as Stormblaze rapped on the door three times. A section of wood that had been covering a narrow slot made into the door was suddenly pulled aside, and two reddened eyes glared suspiciously out at them.  
     
"Password?" A deep, slightly muffled voice grunted from behind the door.  
     
"Acorn ale." Stormblaze replied without hesitation.  
     
The sound of numerous locks and latches being undone could be heard, then the door opened to reveal a large stocky pig standing there. _'He looks intimidating.'_ Antoine nervously thought, but he took comfort in the fact that Stormblaze was noticeably taller, plus appeared to be completely unconcerned by the pig's presence. The pig stepped aside to let them through.  
     
"Here we are." Stormblaze announced, spreading his arms wide as he gestured around the Watering Hole's interior. "Now, this is what I call atmosphere!"  
     
Antoine looked around. A dimly lit room that looked as if it could do with a good thorough cleaning, occupied by some rather disreputable-looking Mobians who were either sitting at the bar or at tables hunched sullenly over their tankards - he failed to see the appeal.  
     
Realizing that Antoine was less than impressed, Stormblaze simply said, "It grows on you, trust me." He instructed Antoine to go wait at an empty table in the back of the room while he went to pay the barkeep, a tough-looking toad, for a room for the night.  
     
With that done, Stormblaze came to join Antoine, settling down in a chair to his left. "In honor of our new partnership, let us have drinks tonight."  
     
"Drinks? That is sounding good." Antoine replied, pleased. It would be a nice change of pace from water.  
     
A barmaid, a full-figured but fairly curvaceous guinea pig, approached their table. "Alright boys, what'll it be tonight?" She amiably asked.  
     
Since Antoine had never been to the Watering Hole before, Stormblaze figured he would order for them both. But before he could speak, Antoine suddenly piped up. "Are you having _coquilles saint-jacques_ here, _mademoiselle_?"  
     
Bemused, the guinea pig raised an eyebrow. "… No, I don't think we have whatever it was you just said."  
     
Stormblaze touched his companion, who was looking slightly miffed by the waitress' reply, on the shoulder. "If I may? I am more familiar with the cuisine here, after all." He turned to the waitress. "A couple of acorn ales, fried potatoes, vegetable stew, and soda bread please."  
     
Antoine, having expected something along the lines of soda or juice of some sort, was surprised to learn the drinks were actually going to be alcoholic. Princess Sally frowned on the idea of any of the Knothole Freedom Fighters drinking, partly because she wanted everyone to keep on their toes and thought that alcohol would have the opposite effect on them.  
     
The guinea pig nodded as she quickly jotted the order down in the little notepad she carried on her, then headed behind the bar and back into the kitchen. In a little while she returned, carrying a tray that had two frosty glass mugs filled with a rich amber-colored frothy liquid, a platter of chopped fried potatoes, four loaves of warm soda bread, and a set of vegetable soup-filled bowls on it. She set the tray down on the table between them before leaving to attend to other customers.  
     
Taking one mug for himself, Stormblaze pushed the other in Antoine's direction with a grin. "Wait until you try this. It's actually named in honor of your King Acorn, you know."  
     
"I am not knowing about this… Just how clean are these cups being?" Antoine asked, picking up his mug and peering closely at it.  
     
Stormblaze had already started eating, but stopped to glance over at Antoine. "Clean enough. Listen Little Wolf, if you spend all your time fretting about the little things, then you're never going to enjoy life. So I recommend that you just sit back, relax, and enjoy your meal."  
     
Still unsure, Antoine set the drink aside for the moment and decided to try some of the food. However, he found most of it far too greasy for his palette, like he did Sonic's repulsive chili dogs. Tentatively, he picked up his mug again and took a careful whiff of the ale. The tart scent was interesting, to say the least. The few occasions he’d ever smelled anything like it before was when he had snuck into La Valette's wine cellar with a few friends to sneak a taste of the alcohol kept there, but the boys had been discovered and chased out by one of the cooks before they could do anything.  
     
Antoine took an experimental taste. Then had several more. It wasn't all that bad, really. He had to admit, being able to drink like this did make him feel more like an adult rather than some silly teenager. As he drank, he could feel an odd but pleasant sensation of warmth and relaxation slowly wash over him.  
     
Noticing his companion's progress, Stormblaze gave him a broad smile of approval. "See? What did I tell you? Care for another?" At Antoine's hasty nod and goofy grin, Stormblaze summoned the barmaid over and ordered a second mug for Antoine, which he eagerly grabbed when she came back with the order.  
     
Stormblaze returned to his meal. Due to his healing abilities, which like all unicorns affected his personal health, alcohol did not have the same effect on him as it did other creatures (alcohol was non-existent in unicorn society for the same reason). Therefore, he didn't drink for the intoxicating effects like others did, since he had never really felt anything of the sort before, but for the taste of the brew itself, which he found unique. However, he suddenly found his peaceful meal being interrupted by Antoine's loud talking.  
     
"So you were a sailor with the Ducaine navy once? Ha, that is nothing! My _ami_ here is being a real live knight. In fact, we are on a quest to find the Deer Power Stones!"  
     
Startled, Stormblaze looked up to find Antoine standing in his chair and engaged in conversation with the occupants of a nearby table, a tall cougar and a scruffy magpie. Reaching over and grabbing Antoine by his shoulder, Stormblaze forced him to turn around and sit down.  
     
"Pay him no heed," Stormblaze told the cougar and the magpie, who shrugged and went back to their drinks. Leaning in towards Antoine, Stormblaze sharply whispered, "Cease this at once!"  
     
"But I was just having the… how you say?… chummy conservation with these gentlemen…" Antoine replied, his speech slurred and attitude slightly peevish.  
     
Seeing that the contents of Antoine's second mug were just about gone, Stormblaze quickly deduced what the problem was. Somehow, a part of him knew that he probably shouldn't have been too surprised by Antoine's reaction to the acorn ale.  
     
"You do not know who they are. What if they are aligned with _you-know-you_?" Stormblaze retorted, still maintaining a lowered voice.  
     
"You know who? Who?" Antoine echoed before blinking owlishly in comprehension. "Oh, Ic-Icky Naugus…" He hiccupped, then chortled. "Well, I am not being scared of him!" Without warning he clambered up onto the table and drew his sabre, clumsily thrusting and hacking at the air with it. "I will cut him to riddles!"  
     
Now they were drawing stares and earning snickers from the other patrons and employees. The situation would have been humorous were it not for the possibility that a spy working for the Order of Ixis might have been in their midst that very moment watching them. Stormblaze attempted to get him down, but was forced to back off lest he be accidentally cut by Antoine's blade. While of course he could heal himself if he were injured, there wereone too many witnesses around for his liking. He would have a lot of explaining to do if he were to be wounded and they noticed that he had just suddenly stopped bleeding.  
     
Finally, Antoine made the mistake of swinging out too far and lost his balance. He would have fallen off the table were it not for Stormblaze, who caught him just in time. The unicorn leveled a severe stare at the inebriated coydog cradled in his arms.  
     
"I think it is time for you to be heading off to bed, would you not agree?" He asked, his voice belying his expression.  
     
"Bed?" Antoine whined as he tried to focus his vision; he would have sworn he was seeing three Stormblazes just then. "But I am not being sheepy, papa."  
     
Stormblaze couldn't get himself and Antoine to the staircase and up to the second floor fast enough, as a roar of laughter erupted from behind them in the den. As he searched for their room, which was located towards the end of the hall, and went in after unlocking the door, he had to put up with a lot of silly and quite frankly embarrassing chatter from Antoine the entire time.  
     
Inside the room, Stormblaze dropped Antoine onto one of the beds, earning a grunt of surprise from him. He then had a seat on the edge of the second bed and studied their simple accommodations. In addition to the two (rather small) beds, there was also a stool and a little desk, on top of which sat a lit oil lamp. He was grateful the room included two beds -- he would have hated to sleep on the floor.  
     
Stormblaze's keen ears picked up the light drumming of raindrops striking the windowpane. His earlier guess that they would be getting rain had proved correct. He was considering returning downstairs to retrieve the rest of his dinner when Antoine started rambling again. Like before, Stormblaze largely tuned him out, only half-heartedly offering a reply every now and then.  
     
Noticing Antoine attempting to sit up, Stormblaze told him, "Go to sleep. No doubt you will feel better in the morning."  
     
Clumsily rolling over onto his side and propping himself up on his elbow, Antoine blearily gazed at him. "'Blaze, are you knowing that you are being my bestest _ami_ in the whole entire world?"  
     
"No I did not. Thank you, Antoine." Stormblaze dryly replied. _'At least he isn't a disagreeable drunk.'_ he thought.  
     
"Sometimes I am not even sure if Bunnie is wanting to be my friend," he continued in a wavering voice, waving a hand through the air. "Since I am being the reason for why she is the way she is."  
     
Stormblaze frowned. He remembered Antoine mentioning this Bunnie person to him earlier in their conversations, but he hadn't said anything about there being something wrong with her. Normally, he wasn't the sort to stick his nose in other Mobians' business, believing that if someone had something to tell him then they would do so on their own time, but now he reluctantly found himself wanting to know more about Antoine's connection to Bunnie. "What do you mean that you're the reason for her being the way she is?"  
     
With a sigh, Antoine flopped onto his back, resting his head on the pillow as he stared up at the ceiling. "When I was fifteen years old, I was wanting to practice _mon_ bladework, so I went into the Great Forest by myself. When I was hearing what sounded like many Mobians coming towards _moi_ , I thought it was just being Sonic trying to play a joke on _moi_. So I hid in the bushes, planning to jump out and give him the scare instead. But it was turning out to be a group of ten SWATBots dragging a _lapine_ with them. Even though she could not get away, I could tell she was not being scared. Not one bit. In fact, she was quite angry with them." He couldn't help smiling a little at the memory. That was one of Bunnie's trademarks: her fearlessness in the face of peril. "I was wanting to save her, so I followed them all the way to Robotropolis. I lost sight of her when they took her inside Robotnik's base, since I could not easily be doing the sneaking in after them, and had to wait before making _mon_ move. I was finally able to be finding the room she was in because... because I could hear her screaming! T-they were roboticizing her!" Shutting his eyes tightly, he covered his ears as though he could still hear Bunnie's pained screams even now.  
     
"I was wanting to stop them, truly I was, but it was like I could not move. I was being so scared when I saw and heard what was happening I just… was freezing. Somehow I finally came to _mes_ senses. I saw the control panel that controlled the roboticizer nearby and starting tearing out the wires in it. That stopped it. When Snively went to see what was the problem was being, I quickly pulled Bunnie out of that awful machine. She was not being awake, and I took her back to Knothole."  
     
By that point, Stormblaze was sitting up stiffly and still as a post as he listened intently to Antoine's story. Sir Connery had explained roboticization to Stormblaze before, leaving him horror-struck. The very idea of a machine that could transform living flesh into cold metal appalled him. He believed Robotnik to truly be a servant of Mephiles. "Was the girl roboticized?" He tentatively asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.  
     
"Only her right arm and her legs." Moaning, Antoine covered his eyes with his hands, wailing, "Oh, if only I was not being such a foolish coward, then she still would be normal!"  
     
"Antoine, you did not doom her. Do you not see that you saved her?"  
     
"Saved her? I was not acting quickly enough to keep her from being taken there in the first place! I am a failure!"  
     
Going over to the other bed, Stormblaze grabbed Antoine by his shoulders. "Listen to me," he firmly insisted. "Beating yourself up over this helps neither you nor her. The both of you were outnumbered by the SWATBots. To fight them all would have been absolutely foolhardy, not courageous. You were _not_ the one to roboticize her. That was Snively and Robotnik's doing."  
     
Antoine merely sniffled, tears that had been restrained for far too long welling up in his eyes. Stormblaze released him. Taking out a handkerchief from one of his tunic pockets, he handed it to Antoine, who took it and loudly blew his nose. He tried to hand the article of white cloth back to its owner, who quickly put his hands out in front of him, mild disgust making him screw his muzzle up.    
     
"No, you keep that... Or something. Anyways, have you ever spoken to the girl about this matter?"  
     
Antoine shook his head. "I-i-it is something we are never really s-speeching of."  
     
"Well, perhaps you should try discussing it with her sometime. I think it would help you - and maybe her as well – immensely. It does you no good to keep something so tragic bottled up inside."  
     
Antoine nodded as he lay back down. "I will be trying…"  
     
"Good," Stormblaze nodded in satisfaction before returning to his own bed. "I will hold you to that. Now, I intend to get some rest for the night, so if you would kindly find another activity aside from talking or feeling sorry for yourself to occupy your time, preferably sleeping, I would appreciate it."  
     
Hearing no response, Stormblaze glanced over at Antoine. He had fallen asleep, his chest gently rising and falling as he breathed in and out. The sound of light snoring was audible. Stormblaze impassively considered his dozing form for a moment before finally shaking his head and chuckling quietly to himself. As juvenile and grating as Antoine could be at times, Stormblaze still found himself liking the little mutt, who by extension didn't seem to mind his own quirks too much. Most of the other Avalonian unicorns tended to find Stormblaze's sense of humor tiresome, and his ways of thinking, especially his desire to leave their comfortable island home to explore the rest of Mobius, were alien to them. Stormblaze wanted to help Antoine stay on the right path, especially after what he’d just revealed tonight. After Sir Connery's demise, Stormblaze remembered blaming himself for what had happened and thinking that it should've been him who died that day. Eventually though, he had come to see that he was not at fault for the horse's death, and hoped Antoine would take his advice and understand that the same thing was true of him and Bunnie.  
     
"Good night, Little wolf."  
________________________________________  
     
Antoine opened his eyes, then immediately regretted the action. It felt like the light was actually burning its way through them. Wincing, he quickly closed his eyes and rolled over on his stomach, away from the agonizing light. His head was pounding, he felt about as weak as a newborn pup, his stomach was turning flips, and his mouth tasted like he had been chewing on a dirty sock. _'Mon dieu…'_ He miserably thought.  
     
He recognized the scent of fresh air and… two sniffs determined horse... No, on second thought, it wasn't exactly a horse. It was Stormblaze. Cautiously, Antoine partially slid one eyelid open and slowly shifted himself in order to better look around. From his position, he saw a small, modestly furnished room and guessed he was in a bedroom someplace, but where exactly he wasn't sure. His surroundings didn't look familiar at all. He was careful not to look across the room, where the dreadfully bright rays of sunshine were pouring in between the white curtains that framed the open window.  
     
"Good morning." A familiar voice dryly greeted from nearby. Antoine was too dizzy to identify the direction that Stormblaze's voice was coming from, and buried his head beneath his pillow instead.  
     
" _Mon_ poor head…"  
     
"Yes. I believe you have what's known as a hangover. I've never experienced one before, thank the Source, so I can only imagine what it must feel like."  
     
To Antoine, it almost sounded like he was actually deriving some sort of amusement from his predicament. He wished Stormblaze could experience what he was going through - that'd shut him up. Annoyed, Antoine adjusted his pillow so that he could be better heard and grumbled, " _You_ were being the one telling _moi_ to have a drink."  
     
Stormblaze coughed. "Yes, well, it would seem I overestimated your tolerance for alcohol." Now he sounded embarrassed. "I suppose at least you can tell the rest of your little group that you have had a man's drink, eh?"  
     
Antoine decided that he would keep this particular story to himself for a change. He hated to imagine the princess's reaction if she discovered what he had done. "Where are we?" He asked with a groan, deciding to change the subject.  
     
"Still at the Watering Hole. I had to bring you upstairs last night after your little display. You are in no condition to travel anywhere."  
     
_'That much is obvious'_ , Antoine thought, closing his eyes again. He had no intention of going anywhere in the state he was in, trying to remain perfectly still instead. Breathing was one of the few things he could do without feeling pain or nausea. He tried to think of something, _anything_ to take his mind off of how awful he felt. But because he was so disoriented, concentration was difficult.  
     
"Remain as you are," Stormblaze instructed him. "I shall heal you."  
     
Antoine felt something lightly tap him on his right shoulder, then on the other shoulder. Then the pillow was moved aside, and what he correctly guessed to be the palm of a hand was pressed against his forehead. A peculiar tingling sensation suddenly began spreading throughout his body, starting with his head and moving all the way down to his toes. The strange feeling went away after a few minutes, taking the pain and nausea with it. Opening his eyes, Antoine carefully sat up, not quite believing what had just happened to him.  
     
"I am feeling... better?"  
     
It was true. His vision had cleared, and his other symptoms were gone as well. In fact, he felt better than he had even before becoming drunk. Glancing to his right, Antoine saw that Stormblaze had pulled a chair up by the head of his bed. He didn't seem to be aware of Antoine, and his unfocused gray eyes were glazed over and staring straight ahead. Then without warning, he slumped forward in his seat. Antoine hurriedly grabbed him by the hood of his tunic to keep him from pitching forward, but the unicorn's bulk threatened to pull him down to the floor as well, and he was forced to stand in order to gain better traction and brace himself.  
     
"Stormblaze!" Antoine shouted, hoping to rouse him.  
     
With a grunt, Stormblaze shook his head and sat back up, holding an open hand to his forehead. Seeing that he appeared to be alright now, Antoine released his grip.  
     
"My apologies for alarming you." Stormblaze said, sounding tired. Antoine was concerned to see that his eyes were half-closed and his ears drooped. "Whenever I use my healing powers, they draw upon my body's energy, so usually I require rest after using them, whether I heal another or myself. Normally, curing a mere hangover should not have affected me so badly, but this was a surprisingly complicated healing."  
     
"Complicated?"  
     
The unicorn seemed hesitant to speak. "I… sensed something there – within you. A great wound of the spirit, something my horn cannot heal."  
     
Antoine frowned slightly. A spiritual wound? He supposed it could have been any number of things - the loss of the only true family he’d ever known, the sense that he had disappointed not only his princess but his parents with his weakness, just to name a few. There was also something that he privately referred to as "The Incident". It had been a terrible moment in not only his life but Bunnie's as well, and he didn't think he was ready to discuss it just yet.  
     
"You need not share it if you do not wish to." Stormblaze softly said, having noticed Antoine's sudden quietness.  
     
" _Merci_." Grateful, Antoine nodded at him. "Maybe I will be talking about it when I am feeling down for it."  
     
"I believe you mean 'up for it'. Now, are you up for breakfast?" Standing (albeit rather slowly), Stormblaze started making his way towards the door before stopping and turning to Antoine. Apparently he was beginning to feel better.  
     
"Now I am." Antoine hopped out of bed, his own movements sure and sprightly by comparison. He couldn't believe how easily he was able to get around when only moments ago he had felt like crawling under the bed and dying there. As he prepared to follow Stormblaze downstairs to the den, he stopped, slightly frowning. "Stormblaze, exactly what was I doing last night? I am not remembering anything."  
     
"Well… You began conversing with two strangers about the Deep Power Stones, then jumped up on our table and started swinging your sword around like a madman. Oh, and you called me papa."  
     
Antoine pulled a face. It was worse than he thought. He was never going to drink again, he decided. "Er, on second thought, I am thinking I will be saying here instead." He wasn't sure if he wanted to show his face to the same Mobians who had witnessed his drunken escapades the night before.  
     
Stormblaze went back over to him. Being a free spirit who didn't care a whit as to what others may have thought of him, he disliked seeing Antoine worry so much about what the other patrons might be saying about him that he was willing to forgo breakfast. That wouldn't be good for another reason. They had a long trip ahead of them, and Antoine needed food in order to maintain the strength and energy required to keep up.  
     
"Well if you truly wish to, I suppose you could remain here while I go downstairs and enjoy a nice hot breakfast. Or…" Stormblaze drawled, carefully pausing for effect, "You could accompany me, we can both eat, and I could teach you a few different methods for dealing with ruffians who are giving you a difficult time."  
     
His little ploy did the trick. Antoine's reluctance gave way to eager inquisitiveness. "You would be doing that for _moi_? I could really use something like that!"  
     
"Oh trust me little wolf, I would. I believe you'll find it most illuminating…" Smiling disarmingly, Stormblaze eased Antoine towards the door.  
     
"Wait -" Antoine halted again, looking up at Stormblaze with concern. "The breakfast, is it being greasy like the dinner as well?"  
     
Giving a huff of annoyance, Stormblaze nudged Antoine on out the door. "Oh, do stop fretting and let’s go already!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't take credit for the idea of Antoine rescuing Bunnie from the roboticizer, as it was actually inspired by Nikkicub's story Rabbot Tale (go read it, it's good!). Yeah, I know it was actually Sonic and Rotor who saved her in the comic, but I think Antoine being the one to do it instead gives him and Bunnie more of a connection. Plus, the issue in which Bunnie's roboticization is shown happened back in the days when the comic had a more obviously slapsticky tone to it, so…
> 
>  
> 
> **French translations:**
> 
>  
> 
> Coquilles saint-jacques: This is a French dish made with scallops and mushrooms.
> 
> Faux pas: Stumble; refers to a slip or blunder in one’s manners or conduct.
> 
> Lapine: Rabbit.


	4. Chapter 4

After a whole day's worth of walking, the next afternoon Antoine and Stormblaze finally arrived in the tiny hamlet of Rose Creek. The town was surrounded by an old-growth forest, and as such many of the trees were tall and the underbrush very sparse.  
     
Eventually, they came upon the former Order of Ixis member, who Stormblaze had said was an aardvark named Tomlan, gathering wood in the forest. Nearby was a large hill that had what appeared to be a wooden door resembling a cellar door built into its side. It must have been someone's dwelling, but whether it actually was Tomlan's or not could not be determined just then.  
     
"Good morrow, sir." Stormblaze called out as he and Antoine approached.  
     
Realizing he was no longer alone, Tomlan whirled around to face them, dropping the armful of sticks he had been carrying as he did. He scrambled towards the hill, making for the door, only to be blocked as Stormblaze, naturally being faster, made it there first and placed his bulk in front of it. Antoine ran in behind the aardvark just in case he decided to make a run for it in the opposite direction.  
     
Seeing he was trapped, Tomlan covered his eyes and broke down, sobbing piteously as he fell to the ground.  
     
Antoine and Stormblaze exchanged glances of confusion and guilt as they stood over Tomlan. The poor fellow was clearly terrified.  
     
" _S'il vous plait monsieur_ , we are only being here to speak with you." Antoine hastily explained.  
     
Tomlan looked up at them, eyes teary and red. "Y-y-y-you mean you aren't here to kill me?"  
     
"Do not be absurd." Stormblaze scoffed. "No assassin in their right mind would hail you before slaying you. Who did you believe we were?" He already had his suspicions, but wanted them confirmed.  
     
Slowly rising to his feet, Tomlan cast fearful glances about the area as though he was expecting more Mobians to appear. "I’d rather not say. You two said you wanted to speak to me -- why?"  
     
Stormblaze nodded. "Yes. Your help is needed in apprehending one Matthias Poe."  
     
"Oh no. No no no no…" Tomlan began edging away from the pair, slowly shaking his head.  
     
"Right now, you are the only Mobian who can aid us," Stormblaze empathically said, following him. "I know that you were once a member of the Order of Ixis. Poe has stolen some very powerful mystical artifacts, and it is feared that he will wreak much havoc with them if not stopped in time." He levelly stared down at Tomlan, who had been backed against the side of the hill. "Well? Will you turn us away, or help us stop Poe before he brings ruin to all of Mobius?"  
       
"It's real easy for you to act high and mighty, mule," Tomlan retorted, glaring at Stormblaze. "You haven't got a single clue what Poe and the others would do to me if they ever learned I told outsiders about the Order. I'm guessing you heard all the stories about them before? Well, the truth is far worse."  
     
Antoine's blood ran cold at Tomlan's ominous words. If this Order of Ixis was so bad, then why hadn't he or the other Freedom Fighters ever heard of them before? "Perhaps we could be protecting you from the Order?" He offreed.  
     
Tomlan glanced between him and Stormblaze. "Are there more of you? Because two Mobians aren't going to cut it. The Order will cut the both of you down and then get me."  
     
"We have friends who can assist us." Stormblaze said, still maintaining his calm demeanor. He wasn't quite sure what to think of Antoine's spur-of-the-moment promise to Tomlan. He disliked making vows he might have problems keeping, but supposed that if it got Tomlan to open up to them, then he would be willing to go along with it for now.  
     
After a moment of further hesitation, Tomlan finally answered, "Very well. Follow me." He still didn't seem especially convinced that they would be able to protect him. Going over to his front door, he opened it and allowed the pair to enter first.  
     
The interior was sparsely decorated, with only the basic necessities and a few pieces of furniture, such as a table and a single chair, filling the small space. The walls were bare. It looked as though Tomlan planned on living out the rest of his existence as a hermit.  
     
For Stormblaze, the house proved to be a rather tight fit, so he had a seat on the dirt floor. Tomlan offered Antoine the chair, which he started to take but then turned down, choosing to sit on the floor adjacent from Stormblaze instead. He would have felt rather strange getting to sit in a chair while Stormblaze sat on the floor, even though he knew the reason why Stormblaze wouldn't take the chair was simply because it wouldn't support his weight.  
     
For a moment, the sight of the unicorn awkwardly sitting there with his long legs closely pulled in to his body so they would not be in anyone's way made Antoine want to laugh, but the seriousness of the situation curtailed that impulse. He addressed Tomlan first. " _Excusez-moi monsieur_ , but if the Order is being so horrible, then why did you join them?"  
     
"Hey, I didn't realize what they were when I joined them," he retorted, sounding a little offended at having such a question posed to him. "They just told me that they were devoted to overthrowing Robotnik. Who wouldn't like the sound of that? I lost my brother to that Overlander scum's roboticizer."  
     
Antoine had to nod. When Tomlan put it like that, he could better understand why someone would want to be part of such a group. He couldn't help but wonder that if he had encountered the Order and they made him such an offer would he have joined them.  
     
"Anyways, I think they actually do want to stop Robotnik. It's just the way they plan on going about it that's so disturbing." Tomlan continued.  
     
"How is that?" Stormblaze asked.  
     
"They want to return to power so they can rule Mobius themselves. The only Mobian they think can lead them to glory is Ixis Naugus."  
     
"Ixis Naugus?" Antoine echoed, frowning. He knew some Mobians had a penchant for gracing their children with odd forenames (how fortunate he was that his own parents had chosen such a noble name for him, he thought), but what parent would be cruel enough to name their child Ixis?  
     
For Stormblaze however, the oddness of the name Ixis Naugus was the furthest thing from his mind. Instead he quietly reflected on what Tomlan was telling them. According to the records he’d read about the Ixian Wars when he was last on Avalonia, Ixis Naugus had suddenly arrived on the scene decades ago, rallying the remnants of the Order to him as he attempted to bring mayhem and destruction to Mobius in the form of a cataclysmic natural disaster referred to as the 'Days Of Fury' before seeming to mysteriously vanish as quickly as he had appeared. It was quite possible that the Naugus Tomlan spoke of was the very same individual. Most magicians did have longer life spans then mortals typically tended to, due to the effects of the magic they wielded.  
     
"'Ixis' is a title bestowed upon the highest ranking and most powerful member in the Order." Stormblaze informed Antoine.  
     
"That's right," Tomlan nodded to Stormblaze. "No one in my sect ever saw Naugus before. But I did hear that you could recognize him the instant you saw him. He was apparently a very… distinctive-looking character. Had a horn on top of his head, a long beard, and instead of a normal right hand, he had a single claw."  
     
Stormblaze remembered the records making mention of Naugus' bizarre appearance. The sorcerer's appearance matched up with no known species of Mobian, mortal or legendary. Some Mobians had theorized that it was some sort of glamour designed to strike fear into Naugus' enemies, or the result of some magical accident or experiment. Meanwhile, Antoine's own expression could be summed up as a blend of repulsion and bewilderment. Distinctive wasn't quite the word that entered his mind when it came to Tomlan's description of Naugus.  
     
"You keep saying 'was'," Stormblaze pointed out. "How can this Naugus fellow return the Order to power if he is no longer around?"  
     
"He never died in the first place. Well," Tomlan paused to scratch his head with a sturdy claw, "At least we're pretty sure he's not dead. See, eleven years ago, he went to the Kingdom of Acorn to become the king's court magician. But what he was really planning to do was manipulate the king for his own gain."  
     
Antoine's eyes went wide with shock. "What?" Naugus had actually been in the Kingdom of Acorn? But surely he would've remembered seeing such a bizarre character around before. For his part, Stormblaze cocked an eyebrow at Tomlan's revelation, but stayed silent.  
     
Tomlan glanced over at Antoine, apparently not pleased at being interrupted. "Something the matter?"  
     
"Er... _pas._ " Antoine shook his head quickly. "Please be continuing."  
     
"Anyways, Naugus had been experimenting with creating… doorways, if you will, to other worlds. During one of these experiments, he stumbled across a strange dimension he named the Void of Silence. He made the mistake of getting Robotnik to help him further study the Void, but Robotnik trapped him in it instead. Then he turned around and told King Acorn that Naugus had left the kingdom. When the Order didn't hear anything from Naugus for a while, they went out looking for him. It was only after they’d sent spies to the Acorn Kingdom that they learned about Naugus' imprisonment and started looking for a way to free him. From what I understand, they're able to contact and communicate with him by means of a Dark Power Ring, so he's still alive. He just can't return here. If I had to guess, the Order is going to use the Deep Power Stones to try and return Ixis to this world."  
     
"It would seem that you already possess some knowledge of the Deep Power Stones' capabilities." Stormblaze noted.  
     
"Considering that the Order mainly consists of magic-users and the Stones are magical artifacts? Yeah, I do." Tomlan replied somewhat sarcastically. Stormblaze's eyes narrowed slightly, but he restrained himself from coming back at Tomlan with an acerbic comment of his own as the aardvark went on.  
     
"Now, for the Order to successfully pull off a stunt like that… why, it'd require a tremendous amount of powerful or dark magic. The kind that requires a living sacrifice."  
     
A sinister silence followed in the wake of Tomlan's words as Stormblaze and Antoine digested everything he had said. Then Stormblaze urgently asked, "Do you have any idea where Poe might go?"  
     
Scratching at an ear, Tomlan thought a moment. "Soledad, Sierra Verde. There's a large cave down there nicknamed 'La Boca Del Infierno'. The native tribes are very familiar with it. The Order likes holding their ceremonies there because the site runs over leylines."  
     
Stormblaze gave a sharp intake of breath. "This is direr then I initially thought," He looked to Antoine. "We must make haste to Soledad. The entire world is in grave danger."  
     
"But how will we be getting there? Sierra Verde is being all the way down on the southern coast!" Antoine exclaimed. "What if we cannot be getting there fast enough? What if -"  
     
Stormblaze held up a hand to stop Antoine. "I cannot answer those questions at this point, but I would rather we at least attempt to find a way to get there and do so, rather than worry about whether we can or not."  
     
Embarrassed by his fit of anxiety, Antoine managed a nod of agreement. He knew he shouldn't have allowed himself to become so worried, but well, he had always been a worrier.  
     
"So these friends of yours' who are supposed to help protect me… who are they?" Tomlan asked, eying Antoine and Stormblaze with skepticism.  
     
"Have you been hearing of the great Princess Sally Acorn and the Knothole Freedom Fighters?" Antoine asked. He couldn't resist sounding a little smug, though a warning glance in his direction from Stormblaze reminded him not to take it overboard.  
     
"Oh yeah. King Max's kid, right? Never did keep up much with all that royal stuff." Tomlan said, sounding a little less than impressed by Antoine's announcement before his face suddenly brightened as if he remembered something important. "Hey, wait – that Sonic kid is with the Knothole Freedom Fighters, isn't he? He's a big hero."  
     
At the mention of Sonic, Antoine's cavalier air deflated like a balloon that had just had the air let out of it. Could he never escape the constant mentions of his rival and how fantastic he was? _"Oui, oui…"_   He huffed, annoyed. "But I am being a member too!"  
     
"You know, if you two could get Sonic to protect me, I think I could help you out some more." Tomlan continued as though he hadn't heard Antoine. He seemed a lot more affable then before.  
     
"Considering the time frame, I am not sure if we can manage that, but we will see what we are able to do." Stormblaze honestly answered.  
     
When Tomlan excused himself to step outside, recalling that he needed to bring in the firewood he had been collecting before being so "rudely interrupted" (his words), Stormblaze turned to Antoine with something like wonder in his eyes. "Truly do I believe that our meeting was fate. There are too many curious connections between us to be just mere coincidence."  
     
_'It_ is _curious...'_   Antoine thought – the fact that the both of them shared a connection to Sir Connery, the fact the villain Stormblaze and the other unicorns wanted to stop had once worked for King Acorn, Antoine and Stormblaze being outsiders in places where they should have been accepted...  
     
" _Oui_. Are you thinking that perhaps the Source was wanting us to meet, so we could be stopping the Order?" Antoine carefully asked. He had heard some knights say they had felt a higher power calling them to duty. He hadn't felt anything like that (or at least didn't think he had), but what if he and Stormblaze _were_ supposed to meet each other? He was actually aware that some Mobians weren't quite as religious as he was, so he was unsure whether Stormblaze would think his idea mad or not.  
     
The unicorn shrugged. "Who can say? He moves in mysterious ways." Though admittedly Stormblaze found the idea of the Source choosing a couple of outcasts like Antoine and himself to save the world to be a pretty remarkable one. _'Stranger things have happened, I suppose.'_   he thought.  
     
He decided to switch topics, as there was a specific element of Tomlan's story he wanted to comment upon. "Forgive me, but it would appear that your King Acorn either had the worst fortune imaginable or extremely poor taste in cabinet members."  
     
Antoine wasn't quite sure how to respond to that statement. Before, he would've argued with Stormblaze on behalf of his absent liege, but now even he found himself questioning how on Mobius King Maximilian could have ended up with two traitorous sociopaths in his employ.  
     
"Anyways, it would seem that we’ll have to take him with us." Stormblaze went on, plainly referring to Tomlan as he jerked his head at the door.  
     
"Are you sure that is being the wisest court of action? He is seeming to be terribly scared of the Order."  
     
" 'Course of action', Little Wolf. And I am afraid so. It would simply take us too long to escort him to Knothole or to Avalonia, and we need to catch up with Poe."  
     
"Why not get the aid of that militia you and Sir Connery started?" Antoine suggested.  
     
Stormblaze made a face like he had just caught a whiff of something disagreeable. "That is not an option either. After Sir Connery's demise, the group's lieutenant and I had a… er, what would you call it? Ah, a falling out." Realizing Antoine didn't quite understand what he meant by that, Stormblaze clarified the term for him. "It is a long story that I will share another time, but there was a disagreement between us and harsh words were exchanged. I decided it would be best if I left the group."  
     
Antoine lapsed into a thoughtful silence. He tried to imagine what their quest would be like with the addition of Tomlan. Because of his older age and species, Tomlan didn't seem to be as spry and active as Stormblaze and himself were, and he could be rather… touchy at times.  
     
When Tomlan hadn't returned after ten minutes, the two found themselves growing restless. "Perhaps we should check on our would-be traveling companion." Stormblaze suggested.  
     
A look of concern passed over Antoine's face as a troubling thought occurred to him. "Are you thinking he has run off?"  
     
Stormblaze shrugged. "I would hope not, but with him, who knows?"  
     
"I will go see." Antoine volunteered, standing and going outside. As he shut the door behind him, he tried to see if he could spot Tomlan anywhere, but saw no sign of him.  
     
" _Monsieur_ Tomlan?" He called out. Receiving no answer, Antoine guessed that he might have gone further into the woods, and headed that way. However, his search there didn't turn up anything either. Returning to the house, he was wondering if Tomlan really had decided to leave on his own when he happened to notice a brown mass on the ground over on the far left side of the hill. Curious, Antoine ventured over for a better look at it.  
     
When he was close enough to discern what the strange object was, he leapt back with a terrified yell. It was Tomlan, and he was lying flat on his stomach. His eyes were wide open, like he was surprised, and a scarlet dart was protruding from the back of his neck. Antoine didn't need to get any closer to determine if Tomlan was alive or not. The glassy, unblinking look in his eyes told him all he needed to know.  
     
Becoming aware of the possibility that the assassin could still be lurking around somewhere, Antoine threw himself to the ground and crawled over to the protection of a small cluster of boulders. Where could the assassin be? He scanned the area for any indicators that might give away the killer's presence, but saw nothing. Just as he started wondering if he should try making a dash for the house, Antoine thought he spied what appeared to be a small patch of black amidst the leafy green crown of one of the tall sassafras trees across from Tomlan's house. Whatever it was, it vanished in the sliver of a second.  
     
Back inside Tomlan's home, a bored Stormblaze wondered what was taking Tomlan and now Antoine so long to return. Walking over to the door, he opened it and ducked his head out, looking for the absent Mobians. He was greatly surprised to see Antoine crawling around in the dirt over by some rocks. Something had to be wrong. From what Stormblaze knew of his friend, Antoine shunned getting dirty. Mystified, he stepped outside to find out what was happening.  
     
Meanwhile, Antoine had been closely observing the trees, trying to see if he could spot anything else unusual, when he noticed Stormblaze coming his way. At the same time, he heard a slight rustle and then what sounded like someone softly drawing breath. It had come from somewhere close by, from a place moderately high off the ground – one of the trees, most likely. He had a horrible idea of what would follow that sound.  
     
Antoine knew that even if he threw all of his weight at Stormblaze he would still probably not be able to knock him over. So he did the only other thing he could think of: he threw himself right into Stormblaze's path, tripping the surprised unicorn. His balance suddenly thrown off, Stormblaze let out a startled cry as he fell and hit the ground with a heavy thud. Antoine had to quickly scramble out of the way or risk being crushed. In that same instance, something small and red whizzed straight over their heads.  
     
"What in the name of the Source?" Stormblaze thundered, staring at Antoine in disbelief. Frantically, Antoine pointed at something behind him. Turning to look for himself, Stormblaze's eyes went wide. Embedded in a tree trunk was a dart.  
     
Stormblaze cursed himself for leaving his longbow inside. "What has happened here?" He asked, keeping his head low as he tried to spot anything suspicious.  
     
"Tomlan is dead! Murdered!" Antoine shouted, flailing his arms about in his alarm.  
     
Not wanting the frightened coydog to make a target of himself, Stormblaze grabbed Antoine and forced him to stay down. They didn't have to wait long for the mysterious killer to show up. As Antoine and Stormblaze watched, a dark figure leapt down from the boughs of one of the trees it had been hiding in and walked out into the open, towards Antoine and Stormblaze. The lithely built stranger's most distinctive feature was their three arms, which indicated him or her as being a Mobian spider. What wasn't immediately obvious to Antoine and Stormblaze though was its gender. Something about the spider's costuming struck Antoine as being vaguely familiar somehow. He, or she, was clothed from head to toe in black. Scarlet wrappings swathed its wrists and ankles, and a scarlet sash was wrapped around its slim waist. The spider's face was completely covered by a cowl, aside from a small opening for its eyes which allowed it to see.  
     
It suddenly became clear to Antoine as to why the stranger's dark garb seemed familiar. He knew Tails was a big fan of comic books and had several in his possession. The two-tailed fox kit liked showing his comics to Antoine and the other Freedom Fighters and talking about the various characters featured in them. Antoine remembered that some of those characters included stealthy warriors who dressed in dark clothing and wielded eastern-style weapons. What were they called again?  
     
By now, both Stormblaze and Antoine were standing. Stormblaze's eyes were narrowed dangerously as he glared at the spider. "I take you are the one who slew Tomlan? Are you in the employ of the Order Of Ixis?" He demanded.  
     
Silence. The spider merely stared at the duo.  
     
Stormblaze remained undaunted. "So, the strong silent type, are we? I suppose one would have to be to slay another in such a cowardly manner."  
     
This finally seemed to provoke the arachnid into reacting, though not with the blind infuriation Stormblaze had been wishing for. Coolly and deliberately, the spider extended its right arms – all three of them - towards Stormblaze and Antoine. Palms facing upwards, it simultaneously waggled all twelve fingers at them. It was a clear invitation to come and fight.  
     
A grim sort of smile on his long muzzle, Stormblaze knelt down. Gathering a bit of earth in one hand, he rubbed both hands together until his palms were coated with dirt. As Antoine watched, when Stormblaze had completed that curious ritual, he stood and drew his spatha. In turn, the spider reached behind its back for its own weapon, which turned out to be a unique-looking straight sword that tapered to a chiseled point. It easily slid out from the scabbard the spider wore with a light metallic ring.  
     
The oddly matched fighters carefully circled one another, blades raised as each searched for an opening to strike. Then, everything exploded in a flurry of movement.  
       
Stormblaze attacked first. But the spider was much quicker than he was, jaw-droppingly so. Antoine barely registered the spider dodging the thrust of the spatha and vaulting right over Stormblaze's head, using his shoulders as leverage. Landing out of his reach, it made some sort of hand gesture at Stormblaze, who was only just then turning in his foe's direction.  
     
The fight continued on much in this same manner. Stormblaze would slash at the spider, but it always managed to evade his attacks and sometimes used its own blade to parry them (but just barely at times, as Stormblaze definitely held the advantage of greater strength), all the while making those odd gestures when able to. Once, after nimbly bounding over a sword thrust aimed at its midsection, the spider spun in midair and cut Stormblaze right across his chest, forcing him back with a pained grunt. Antoine grimaced in sympathy. He knew the wound would heal quickly, but it still looked painful. He hoped the healing wouldn't sap Stormblaze's energy too much.  
     
_'Ninja!'_ Antoine suddenly remembered with a jolt. She – or he, whichever the spider was, was a ninja. It was then that Antoine also noticed there was some sort of silky white thread entwining Stormblaze's legs and right arm, mainly his wrist and upper arm. Webbing, he realized. At first it was barely even visible.  
     
Stormblaze had noticed the webbing too, and struggled valiantly against it, trying to cut it with his spatha, but it held strong. The substance was hindering his movements.  
     
The spider, who was standing back and holding a line of webbing attached to the webbing which was tangling Stormblaze up, gave the line a strong tug.  
     
Stormblaze's right hand suddenly jerked up and back – straight at his face. It connected with a sickening thud. More yanks on the line resulted in the same action. Soon he was struggling to keep standing on his wobbling legs and looked like he had gone ten rounds with a dragon.  
     
Now that it didn't have to worry about staying out of its enemy's reach as much, the spider shot a new line of webbing out from each wrist at Stormblaze. As each strand struck Stormblaze's webbed-covered legs, the spider wrenched back on the lines with all of its might. The dazed unicorn was pulled right off his feet to land squarely on his back.    

Antoine didn't realize that he had been holding his breath for nearly the entirety of the fight. He never would have believed that someone as powerful as Stormblaze could be defeated by an opponent not even half his size if he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes. He supposed it was now his time to step up. It would be shameful to not to avenge Stormblaze after all.  
     
Unsheathing his sabre, Antoine rushed at the spider, shouting out a challenge as he pointed his sabre at it. _"En garde!"_  
     
The spider turned in his direction. One swift flick of its wrist, and Antoine stopped, startled to suddenly find himself minus one sabre. The spider had used a strand of webbing to snag the blade, which was now securely clasped in one of its six hands. Not only had Antoine been disarmed ridiculously fast, but now he was completely vulnerable. Outside the scant amount of sword training he had received when he was younger, he had no other forms of combat training to fall back on. Princess Sally had never tried to teach him any self-defense techniques like she had Bunnie.  
     
Swallowing hard, Antoine began  to slowly back away from the ninja, ears flat against his skull in submission and his hands out in front of him as he did. The spider's violet eyes studied him in a decidedly calculating fashion before she approached him in a leisurely manner, like it was out for a stroll in the park or something. Unnerved, Antoine now turned to run, but the spider performed a neat flip that carried it over Antoine's head. It landed right in front of him, cutting off his escape route. The last thing Antoine saw was a foot flying right at his face before being knocked into unconsciousness.  
  
________________________________________  
     
In the next few hours, Stormblaze was the first to stir. Since his injuries weren’t severe, his healing abilities allowed him to recover at a speedier rate then Antoine. Seeing the smaller Mobian lying there motionless on the ground, he panicked at first before realizing that Antoine was still breathing, and carefully awakened him. Aside from some bruises and a tender and rather swollen muzzle (all of which Stormblaze took care of), Antoine turned out to be fine. Physically, at least.  
     
A Mobian whom they had promised to protect had died on their watch, and the murderer had beaten them both quite soundly. To add insult to injury, the spider had driven Antoine's sabre point-first into the ground right beside his head.  
     
Like Antoine, Stormblaze found it difficult to believe that Tomlan had been alive and speaking with them only hours ago, but now lay lifeless on the ground, covered by a white sheet. Stormblaze concluded that the dart Tomlan had been shot with had been coated with some sort of poison. The poor fellow might have been a bit rude, but he didn't deserve such a fate.  
     
Neither was in a very talkative mood as they solemnly scraped away at the earth outside Tomlan's house, digging a grave for him. At first they had tried locating digging tools to use, but apparently Tomlan hadn't believed in owning any, probably due to his being an aardvark and therefore already having natural digging tools - his claws - at hand. Fortunately, thanks to the spring rains, the ground wasn't especially hard. Stormblaze was a little surprised to see that having to dig, especially with his bare hands, didn't seem to bother Antoine. In truth, Antoine wasn't particularly upset by it - he felt it was the least he could do for Tomlan. Plus, sometimes he would tend to the flower bed that grew outside Princess Sally's hut (in hope of currying her favor) and had poked around in Knothole's vegetable garden as well, so by this point he was used to getting dirt on his hands.  
     
The one brief bright point of the evening was that Antoine actually got to witness Stormblaze utilizing his healing powers before they began the grim task of burying Tomlan. The last time Stormblaze had healed him, Antoine hadn't been watching. He found it to be a rather fascinating procedure. On Stormblaze's orders, he rolled up his sleeve to expose his right arm. Stormblaze lowered his head and carefully tapped Antoine's bare arm twice with his horn, then placed his hand on the limb. His horn and his hand began glowing a silver color, bathing their immediate vicinity with its' cool radiance. In the same instance, a wave of warmth flowed through Antoine. When both the silver light and the warmth subsided, so too had any aches and pain. Afterwards, Stormblaze wasn't quite as drained as he had been when he cured Antoine's hangover the other day, though he did appear slightly winded and needed to sit for a moment to gather his strength.  
     
When they finally had a hole that was deep enough and the right size, Stormblaze placed Tomlan's corpse in it. Antoine had made it exceedingly clear that he was very uncomfortable having to deal with a dead body. The entire time he had tried not to look at it. With the corpse in its grave, they started the process of covering it with the loose soil. Once that task was concluded, Stormblaze placed a marker, a white medium-sized oblong stone that he and Antoine had chanced across in the woodland, at its head.  
     
They stood over the grave, staring down at it. Stormblaze began speaking in his native tongue. Antoine had no clue what he was saying, but correctly figured that he was reciting some type of prayer. He thought the language sounded somewhat lovely in its own odd, ancient way.  
     
Once Stormblaze was finished, he raised his head and studied the sky. Already a deep shade of cobalt blue, it had grown increasingly dark due to the heavy cumulus clouds that gathered forebodingly overhead, matching their respective moods. He turned his attention to Antoine. "It is time to leave. We have lost precious hours here." He said, firmly but not unkindly.  
     
Antoine lingered, gazing forlornly at the grave for a few minutes more before going to the house to retrieve their gear. Stormblaze waited quietly, knowing better then to rush him. It was obvious why Antoine was so rattled. He wondered if Antoine had ever seen a corpse before. Based on what he had said about being a Freedom Fighter, then surely he would have had to at some point before. He decided he would have to ask him about that, but at a better time perhaps.  
     
Stormblaze knew that death was neither a pretty or trivial thing. He recalled the time when he slew his first flesh-and-blood foes. They were two mercenaries employed by Robotnik who’d attacked Sir Connery and himself as they were preparing to settle down for the night. He recalled how it had taken him some time to get over the image that had been seared into his mind of the mercenaries' crimson blood staining his blade, even though at the same time he felt some satisfaction that such vermin were no longer free to go around terrorizing innocent Mobians. Antoine would have to get over his own squeamishness at some point if he was going to become a knight, just as Stormblaze himself had.  
     
Antoine returned, his knapsack slung across his back and carrying Stormblaze's longbow and quiver. Though the items were unwieldy in his arms, he managed to bring them to Stormblaze without much trouble.  
     
Now that they had their belongings, the pair proceeded to go back the way they had come down the trail. After a while, Stormblaze could no longer take the silence that hung in the air between them like a winter fog. Discussing what had occurred might help to clear the air.  
     
"None of this was your fault, you know."  
     
Frowning, Antoine glanced away. "I was being the one to tell him that we would be protecting him. I did not do that."  
     
"You had no idea that there was an assassin lying in wait for him. In truth, yes, we both could have stood to have been more vigilant. But at the same time, you must accept the fact that a knight cannot always keep everyone safe. Death takes who it will. Do not allow yourself to be consumed by regret."  
     
Antoine didn't respond and kept his eyes averted, only nodding woodenly instead. He still looked miserable.  
     
"You did save one life today. My own."  
     
Antoine gave Stormblaze a puzzled look, so he took the liberty of refreshing Antoine's memory for him. "Do you recall when I was nearly struck by that dart, but you tripped me and it hit a tree instead? There was no knowing what kind of poison it had on it. It could have been something potent enough to interfere with my healing abilities. For that, you have my gratitude."  
     
Stormblaze could see Antoine considering that. "You are being welcome." He finally replied, a little awkwardly. Stormblaze surmised that having people actually thank him wasn't something Antoine experienced very often. He could sympathize.  
     
Even after Stormblaze's attempt at consoling him, Antoine still wasn't in a very talkative mood. Stormblaze tried striking up conversation a few times, but it would always gradually peter off at some point and they would return to silence. Eventually, Stormblaze decided that it would be best to give him some time to himself. It would probably be a while before Antoine was back to his old verbose self.  
     
When the rain-heavy clouds finally burst, drenching the earth with their cold wet contents, the two travelers were sent scurrying for the nearest rain break they could find, which just happened to be a rock shelf jutting out from the side of a tall rocky hill that bordered a narrow meadow. On the other side of the meadow was a forest.  
     
Once he was beneath the rock shelf, Antoine looked at his soaked clothing and fur in dismay. He didn't hate water, but did dislike getting his uniform wet. In an effort to be rid of the loose water, he shook himself off, sending water droplets flying everywhere. He was forced to quickly spring back or risk being soaked all over again when Stormblaze did the same.  
     
Sighing, Antoine leaned back against the rock wall, arms crossed as he peered out at the rainstorm. _'Could this day get any worse?'_   He wondered. "I am hoping this will not be going on all night. This is not being a good place to sleep." He said aloud.  
     
"I can keep watch for the night." Stormblaze volunteered as he pulled his tunic hood over his shoulder and wrung it out. "I can abstain from sleep for an entire day if need be."  
     
Antoine gave him an appreciative nod in response. Back in Knothole Village, there were times when he had seriously been affected by insomnia for assorted reasons (usually his brooding or worrying over something), especially the week prior to his leaving. But as of late, the strenuousness of the journey often left him tired and caused him to fall asleep much quicker than he could before. He didn't think he could stay awake the whole night.  
     
Stormblaze settled down on the ground, his back to the rockface as he too observed the downpour. Antoine decided to remain where he was for the time being. Wanting to take his mind off their dreary circumstances, he decided to talk to Stormblaze.  
     
"There is something I am not understanding. Why did the ninja not kill us? He was certainly having the chance to." Antoine didn't really like bringing that humiliating incident back up again, but the question had been nagging at him like a mosquito buzzing about his ears for some time now. Still though, he certainly was thankful the spider hadn't finished either of them off.  
     
There was something else Antoine found curious. After they both had regained consciousness, Stormblaze didn't seem upset at him for allowing himself to be knocked out by the spider, which was surprising. Most everyone else Antoine knew would have been. Princess Sally wouldn't have been able to disguise the disappointment in her eyes whenever she glanced his way. Sonic would have caustically remarked that he needed to leave the fighting up to the real heroes. Antoine wondered if Stormblaze really was displeased with him, but was a good actor and just not showing it.  
     
"The only thing I can think of is that he did not wish to kill us in the first place. Or perhaps he did not get the opportunity to do so." Stormblaze replied, not taking his eyes away from the scene outside their shelter.  
     
"When I was seeing how the ninja defeated you," Antoine saw Stormblaze wince -- he didn't like being reminded of their trouncing either, "I was wanting to avenge you, so I prepared to fight him myself. Only… um, he was taking _mon_ sabre away. Then I was being kicked and knocked out." He turned his eyes from the unicorn, humiliated by yet another failure in a long line of many on his part. However, Stormblaze's answer not only left him astonished, but mystified as well.  
     
"I do not expect you to be able to take on combatants of that caliber and win. That would be like expecting you to know how to steer a ship when you have never been taught how to do so. And by the stars, that… ninja character defeated _me_. So do not feel guilty."  
     
Wondering if he was serious, Antoine stared at Stormblaze. Stormblaze returned his gaze, wearing an expression that held no annoyance or anything of the sort, just serenity and sage understanding.  
     
Relieved that Stormblaze truly wasn't disappointed or cross after all, Antoine finally relaxed. He came to sit beside Stormblaze, listening as the other Mobian went on speaking. "I will train you just as I said I would. There will be more opportunities in the future for the both of us to achieve glory and mete out justice to the Order."  
     
"I am hoping so." Again Antoine found himself baffled by the unicorn’s behavior. Why did Stormblaze seem to believe he was worth bothering with? Sometimes Antoine himself didn't even think he was worth bothering with. Aside from a select few Mobians, no one usually wanted to spend any time with him unless they just had to for some reason. Most were content to dismiss him as the annoying one, the idiot, and other labels in that vein, and leave him to himself. He had believed that constantly talking about himself and how extraordinary he was would help him feel better about himself and get others to like and admire him, but that empty ache that had been inside of him for some time now had only lingered and grown even worse. Antoine couldn't help wondering if Stormblaze was only allowing him to tag along with him out of pity, but… was there more to it than that?  
     
"Why are you really saying that? Are you just trying to be nice, or are you pitying _moi_?" He stared hard at Stormblaze.  
     
"Why? Well for one, it would be foolish of me to become angry at you for not being able to do something you were never properly taught how to do in the first place. Secondly, I consider you to be my friend. I know you need someone who will stand at your side, Little Wolf. And truthfully, I need somebody like that too. More so," he added, "You need a mentor, someone who can help you realize your potential and guide you through life. You forget that I too know what it is like when no one will take you seriously and treats you like a laughingstock. My teachers believed me to be lazy and willful. Their doubt inspired me to work hard and excel at my duties, and when the time came, I was able to graduate with the other young unicorns."  
     
His speech left Antoine silent. Having others tell him that they thought of him as a friend was not a common occurrence for him. The fact that Stormblaze actually considered him one made him want to start grinning with joy and never stop, but he only allowed himself a small but content smile. He began feeling guilty for having questioned Stormblaze's motives the way he had. Since they had resolved the business of Antoine's propensity to stretch the truth and put the incident with Bogg behind them, Stormblaze had done nothing to give Antoine cause for mistrust. Granted, he did tend to tease Antoine a little, but his joking didn't bother Antoine the way Sonic's always did. Stormblaze's teasing had a more playful and good-natured tone to it.  
     
"I... um... _merci beaucoup_. I have never really been having very many good _amis_ before, or a mentor." He confessed. "But I would like to have both. I will do whatever you say if it will be making _moi_ a great knight!"  
     
The unicorn laughed appreciatively, liking Antoine's eagerness. "That's the spirit. Stick with old Stormblaze, I'll give you a helping hand."  
________________________________________  
     
Antoine stood still as Stormblaze finished tying the blindfold in place around his head. In his left hand Antoine clutched a shaved tree branch, the end of which was pared down to a blunt point that was presently pointed at the ground. Sunup had only arrived about an hour and a half ago. They were still near the rock shelf where they had spent the night waiting out the rainstorm. Antoine's lingering sleepiness was gone, replaced by excited nervousness when Stormblaze had explained the reason why he had awakened him so early.  
     
"Stormblaze, are you being sure of this?" Antoine asked, uncertainty infusing his tone. Stormblaze had told him that now was as good a time as any to begin his sword training before continuing their trek. He had gone on to say that they would no doubt be attacked many more times during their travels, so Antoine should at least have something of a fighting chance at protecting himself. After leaving the Watering Hole, Antoine had noticed Stormblaze trimming down two long tree branches he had found in his spare time, and realized he was making practice swords for their usage. Antoine only hoped that he wouldn't look too incompetent when he squared off against Stormblaze. "What if I am accidentally hurting you?"  
     
Stormblaze couldn't help chuckling at that as he crossed to the other side of the clearing and turned to face Antoine. "Do not fret. I can heal myself, remember?"  
     
Still somewhat anxious, Antoine used his free hand to tug at the strip of white cloth covering his eyes. "What is being the meaning of this blinderfold?" He couldn't understand how he was supposed to fight when he couldn't even see anything. He had never trained in such a manner before. It didn't help that his stick was rather heavy. When he had asked Stormblaze why this was, he replied that Antoine needed to develop his strength and stamina, and having to wield such a heavy training tool would help with that.  
     
"Blindfold. It's how we train on Avalonia. It helps hone one's senses," Stormblaze held up his own stick, which was longer then Antoine's was to match his larger size. Pointing it at Antoine, he grinned and shouted, "Now then, have at you!"  
     
Taking a deep breath, Antoine ran in the direction he’d heard Stormblaze's voice come from, "sword" raised in the air. Stormblaze awaited his charge, and easily blocked the first few clumsy attacks aimed his way before scoring a direct blow to Antoine's right side with his branch. He took care not to hit too hard, but it still smarted.  
     
Gingerly, Antoine rubbed his ribs before lashing out wildly, hoping to just get lucky and hit Stormblaze, but he succeeded in parrying each and every one of his strikes. They might have been coming fast, but Antoine was acting rash, and as a result, his attacks were sloppy and wild. Seeing an opening, Stormblaze counterattacked, this time hitting Antoine on his left shoulder.  
     
Gritting his teeth against the stinging pain, Antoine swung out with all his might, but still wound up missing.  
     
"Stop! Use your senses to locate me!" He heard Stormblaze call out. That time, he sounded like he was standing somewhere off to Antoine's left.  
     
_‘This is hopeless!'_ Antoine thought, nearly tripping over his own feet as he tried to turn in Stormblaze's direction. _'It's harder than trying to find a blind Mobian in a haystack!'_   Believing he had Stormblaze now, a sense of anticipation arose within him, and he lunged. A sharp crack rang out as the practice swords clashed together. Dismayed at being thwarted yet again, Antoine tried to suppress a growl of frustration.  
     
"Focus, Little Wolf!" Stormblaze warned, sensing the growing irritation that was rising off his student in hot waves. "Lose yourself to anger, and you lose the battle!" Antoine's latest attack had succeeded in forcing him to act fast in order to avoid getting hit. So far, it was the first time Antoine had actually even come close to landing a blow. Now, Stormblaze stood only four feet away from Antoine, watching as he flailed around haplessly. Time for him to reengage his "enemy" before Antoine wore himself out attacking air, Stormblaze supposed.  
       
A swift rap to the hand forced Antoine to drop his stick. Hastily, he dropped down on his hands and knees, trying to feel for it, but the stick he felt jabbing him in his back just then told him that the exercise was effectively over with. With a dejected sigh, Antoine removed his blindfold and sat there on the ground.  
     
"Take heart," Stormblaze reassured him. "This was only our first session. One lesson isn't going to instantly turn you into an expert. But with the help of yours' truly, you could become a fine swordsman."  
     
"You… you really are thinking so? You are not just saying that?" Antoine asked. The slightest glimmer of hope, mingled with incredulity, had crept into his voice.  
     
"Indeed I do. If you can just get those emotions of yours' under control and hone your foot and blade work. In a real battle, you will not have the opportunity to correct such errors should you happen to make them. Because you will be dead by then." To drive home his point, Stormblaze stared seriously at Antoine, earning a nervous gulp from the younger Mobian. "But you have a most extraordinary sense of hearing. That is what I was trying to get you to utilize. And if I did not know any better, I would say that you were ambidextrous."  
     
"Amber-what?"  
     
"Ambidextrous. You can use both hands equally well." Although Stormblaze wasn't even remotely winded, he strode over to the edge of the clearing, where he seated himself on a large tree stump and set his stick aside.  
     
"Oh." Antoine had never considered either of those things to be anything special, especially when compared to say, super-speed or the power to breathe fire. His hearing… well, a lot of the time it seemed to be more of a curse then a blessing, especially when he was on edge. Then it was like his hearing was amplified a hundred times over. Even other Mobians, who could hear far better than any Overlander could, didn't seem able to hear the things that he could when he told them what his ears perceived. Sometimes he wondered if he was just being paranoid, or even going mad.  
     
He shrugged as he came over to take a spot on the grass near Stormblaze. "I am being left-handed, but mes papa and mes teachers at La Vallete were teaching me to use both hands. And sometimes I am wishing that I was not hearing all of the things I can."  
     
Stormblaze's ears perked up. "Heard some things you did not wish to hear, did you?" His voice sounded somewhat softer then it typically tended to be.  
     
Antoine shuddered. "Too many times. If it is not something scary like all the big machines and robots in Robotropolis, then it is… Sonic making the jokes about _moi_." All though he liked having someone to confide in about his personal problems, since that meant he no longer had to bottle everything up like before, it was still hard for him to discuss more painful subjects.  
     
"Do not concern yourself with that hedgehog," Stormblaze said, the curt edge in his tone indicating that he didn't think much of Sonic. "From personal experience, I find those who derive pleasure from tormenting others are weak and without honor. And no, I do not care that the rest of your little club believes he is the greatest thing ever. I stand by my words." He added when saw Antoine about to speak again. "So, even your old nanny believes this Sonic fellow's behavior is acceptable?"  
     
"Rosie is liking all of us the same. But she is not knowing that this has been happening. She is either sleeping or busy somewhere, and Sonic is being too crafty to do anything nasty when she actually is around. But I cannot be saying anything to her about it anyways." He threw Stormblaze a significant look that basically said 'How pathetic would it look for a seventeen-year old knight-in-training to go running to his nanny for help?'  
     
Catching the meaning behind that look, Stormblaze thoughtfully stroked his beard. "Yes, good point. I was placed in the same position myself back on Avalonia. But at least your nanny would likely act if she were to discover what was really happening. Most of the other unicorns did not even care that Rience and his friends treated me like something foul they had stepped in. Or did not care to know."  
     
"I am curious about that, actually. If you are not minding my asking, if hardly anyone there is liking you, then why did they trust you to find the Deep Power Stones?"  
     
"That would be the doing of my old friend Raventail. Now, he is what should come to mind when you hear the term 'noble unicorn'. He’s a fine fellow indeed." Stormblaze smiled as he reminisced about Raventail. "It's a wonder he became involved with a rogue such as myself. He's more scholar then warrior, you see. He was the one to convince the queen and the elders that I would be the creature best-suited for the task."  
     
Antoine hoped to be able to meet this Raventail someday. If Stormblaze liked him, then he must have been an upstanding person. His thoughts then returned to what they had been discussing prior to the topic of their respective friends and adversaries. Something Stormblaze said before raised a question in his mind. "Um, shouldn't you be teaching _moi_ how to actually be fighting? Why are we focusing on _mon_ hearing instead?"  
     
"Because swinging a sword is not the only way to win a battle. You must also take into consideration things such as gathering intelligence or evading the enemy. Superb hearing is a most useful ability for a warrior to have. With it, you can detect the approach of your foes before they see you and find out how many of them there are in advance, or, if they're hidden, locate them. Why, if you trained long enough and hard enough, you may even become capable of fighting with your eyes shut, since you would still be aware of where your foes were and hear them as they’re about to strike."  
     
Antoine was greatly intrigued by this. He imagined himself taking part in a great battle, locked in furious combat with several enemy soldiers all at once and soundly defeating them without even having to see them. Such an extraordinary feat would almost certainly win him the respect and admiration of others. The other Freedom Fighters would finally start treating him with respect and not like a burden. Maybe he would go on to be even better then Sonic - better than anyone else!  
     
"How am I going to be fine-honing my hearing?" Antoine asked, eyes bright with zeal as he gazed at Stormblaze.  
     
"I suppose the same way one learns how to do anything new, really - practice. Though I admit to never having taught someone how to utilize one of their senses before… Then again, I’ve never mentored anyone before either. But there's always a first time for everything, isn't there? We will practice every day if possible and see how it goes. Now, shall we try it again?" Picking his stick up, Stormblaze looked expectantly at Antoine.  
     
Antoine rubbed his sore ribs again, imagining himself black and blue from repeated sword training sessions with Stormblaze. He had forgotten just how rigorous this sort of training could be. But if it meant improving his swordsmanship, then the pain was worth it.  
     
Nodding, Antoine finally picked up his own stick and rose, the fire of determination in his eyes. "I am being ready when you are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **French:**
> 
> En garde: On (your) guard.
> 
> S'il vous plait: Please.
> 
>  
> 
> **Spanish:**
> 
>  
> 
> La Boca Del Infierno: The mouth of hell.


	5. Chapter 5

The camp the pair set up a few nights later was situated in a rather lovely spot, a small grove. The trees were flowering, occasionally sending down a soft pink cascade of flower petals whenever the cool night breeze picked up. Stormblaze had told Antoine that the heavy perfume of the blossoms would mask their respective scents in case any undesirables came seeking them out.  
     
Antoine had been pleased to discover that Stormblaze had the same taste in stories he did, so the two entertained themselves by sharing the legends and exploits of famous knights and other such figures from their respective cultures on the latest leg of their journey. Both this and his sword training exercises had helped Antoine take his mind off Tomlan's murder, but he was never truly able to shake the feelings of guilt that haunted him.  
     
With the rising of the moon into the midnight blue heavens, the time to turn in had came. Stormblaze was already in the tent, having wanted to sleep inside it for a night to see what it was like. Antoine hadn't believed it possible that he would be able to fit his bulk within the tent, but Stormblaze thought otherwise. Though his pasterns and hooves were protruding out from between the tent flaps and he’d been forced to scrunch himself up in order to fit the rest of his body inside, he was already dozing off.  
     
But Antoine was not quite ready to go to sleep. He lay beside the tent sprawled on the grass, arms folded behind his head and one leg propped up over the other. His eyes were fixed on the star-studded sky, admiring the view.  
     
Since meeting Stormblaze, being outside after dark by himself in an unfamiliar place was a far less intimidating prospect for Antoine then it had once been. He found that having a friend nearby, particularly a fearless one whose mere size would discourage many would-be threats, was reassuring. Antoine had also come to greatly appreciate the company of someone who was willing to tolerate his idiosyncrasies with such amazing patience. He felt comfortable in speaking to Stormblaze about certain matters that he knew he wouldn't easily be able to approach somebody like Bunnie or Rosie about.  
     
Seeing how the moon drenched everything in silver light and the way the breeze lifted the fallen flower petals and scattered them around as if playing with them had him in a decidedly poetic mood. Rosie had once told Antoine that he’d inherited his love of poetry from his mother. He decided that his latest poem should be about one of his favorite subjects – Princess Sally. Although poetry and flowers hadn't done the trick in winning the princess' affections, he hoped she would be impressed with him once he returned to Knothole Village and she saw that he too could be a courageous male of action.  
     
Antoine started to recite each verse aloud as it entered his mind.  
     
"To my beautiful princess,  
  
I must confess,  
  
That you are the most wonderful girl ever!  
  
You are quick and clever,  
  
Your eyes sparkle like the stars,  
  
And you are as grand as the moon.  
  
You smell of flowers in bloom,  
  
And your wonderfulness cannot be…" He paused, playing around with different words as he tried to think of a good way to complete the verse. "… Held in a hundred jars!" How he wished he’d bought some paper and writing instruments along. Hopefully he could remember his spectacular poem until he was able to write it all down.  
     
Awakened by the loud mutterings of his companion, Stormblaze shuffled around inside the tent before poking his head out from between the flaps and peering over at Antoine. His forelock hung sloppily over his left eye. "What are you up to, Little Wolf?" He asked, voice thick with grogginess.  
     
"Oh, just thinking of a poem for _mon_ princess," He replied with a dreamy sigh, too preoccupied with mooning over his unrequited love to actually look at Stormblaze. "The moon is reminding _moi_ of her beauty."  
     
Stormblaze rolled his eyes. "Oi.” Since learning of this Sally person through Antoine, he had come to the conclusion that Antoine was still infatuated with her, causing him to view her through rose-colored glasses. From what Antoine had told him of her, she didn't sound all that marvelous – more like the parochially-narrow nobility who’d been overindulged one time too many by their subjects that he often saw on Avalonia and elsewhere. It was beyond him as to why anyone would pledge their fidelity to such individuals.  
     
"I thought you said that your princess had chosen another?" He bluntly pointed out.  
     
"Uh, well… _oui_ , I have seen her hold hands with Sonic sometimes," Antoine admitted. Realizing how diffident he sounded just then, Antoine put a little more strength into his voice when he spoke again. "But I am hoping I could be having another chance to win her heart after we are completing our quest."  
     
"Why do you insist upon pursuing a girl who treats you as though you do not even exist?"  
     
"She knows I am existing." There was a sudden steely edge to Antoine’s voice. Stormblaze had just hit a nerve.  
     
Stormblaze gave a loud snort of derision. "Is that so? Well, how does she treat you then? Like a trusted friend and cohort, or the hired help? Or perhaps… more like a nuisance?"  
     
At his protégé's annoyed silence, a cheerless smile spread over Stormblaze's muzzle. "Just as I thought. Take it from me, Little Wolf – you would be much better off finding someone else. A diamond in the rough is worth far more than some gaudy bauble."  
     
_"Gaudy bauble?"_ Antoine repeated, outraged. How dare he speak of his princess in such a manner! "She is not!"  
     
"Of course she isn't. And I'm a dolphin," Stormblaze deadpanned, totally unfazed by Antoine's show of anger. "Trust me when I warn you about Mobians like her."  
     
"Are _you_ having a _petite amie_?"  
     
"If you must know, I did at one time on Avalonia." Stormblaze couldn't see what that had to do with the point he was trying to make, but decided he would oblige Antoine.  
     
"And? What happened to her?"  
     
"She left me for some… what is the term you Mobians would use? Oh, yes. Pretty boy. Who also happens to be the son of a captain in the queen's warband and was a top athlete back at the academy we attended together."  
     
Antoine recognized that faux-cheerful tone of Stormblaze's all too well. He himself had used it with Bunnie right before leaving Knothole, when she’d told him the others would be worried about him and he doubted that any of them really would. Antoine was quiet before uttering an awkward, "Oh. _Je suis desole_ \- I am sorry -"  
     
Stormblaze shrugged indifferently. "Do not apologize. Those two were meant for one another as far as I'm concerned. The same can likely be said of your precious princess and her spiky-headed beau. If you are not some flashy bigwig, then most girls and those in lofty positions especially want nothing to do with you. It is an unfortunate fact of life for gentlemen such as us." Pausing momentarily, he sighed. It gave him no joy to tell Antoine any of this, but he felt his protégé needed to have the truth laid out for him. "I do admit I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a paramour who truly loved me for me, but ultimately I have no need for female companionship. The freedom of the open road, the call of adventure - they are my mistresses."  
     
Listening to Stormblaze, Antoine frowned slightly, but didn't say anything. Choosing to live as a lifelong bachelor? It sounded like a terribly lonely existence to him, even if one could go on all the adventures in the world. Antoine was a romantic at heart, and liked the idea of having someone to come home to at the end of the day, a girl he could talk to and treat like a queen. Regrettably for him, his own desired someone had eyes for another and _did_ seemed either aggravated by or oblivious to him half the time.  
     
"My advice for you would be to take that poetic spirit of yours' and pen a ballad about a legendary knight or a nice bloody battle instead, since you are so interested in tales of heroism and swashbuckling." Stormblaze said, interrupting Antoine's thoughts. "You know, like a warrior-poet."  
     
"A warrior-poet?..." Antoine mulled the idea over, looking at his hands speculatively. "I was not knowing there was such a thing."  
     
"Oh yes, there is. I will tell you more all about it tomorrow." Stormblaze ducked his head back inside the tent. Antoine realized that his departing words were code for "Now let me get some rest." As he tried to decide whether he too should go to sleep or attempt to compose a poem about swords, Stormblaze's voice, sounding slightly muffled now thanks to the tent, warned, "If you absolutely insist upon reciting more poems, go elsewhere please, or I shall bind and gag you."  
________________________________________  
  
     
Eight days of travel had flown by for Antoine and Stormblaze, with nothing hazardous or out of the ordinary occurring along the way. Lately, they had begun noticing that the land was becoming more rugged and mountainous. Indeed, not far off in the distance, mountains wreathed in fog stood like silent sentinels, their white caps contrasting with the rest of their dark forms. They were actually part of a mountain range known as the Greenbacks due to its heavily forested hills, which provided excellent cover and hiding places from SWATBots and other enemies. In fact, it was speculated that Robotnik hadn't bothered with the area much because of the roughness of the terrain.  
     
On this particular morning, Antoine and Stormblaze were busy preparing breakfast -- or rather, Stormblaze was.  
     
"I grow weary of this particular breakfast item. Surely you could've begrudged me a few leaves to toss into the batter." Stormblaze groused. He was kneeling over a small fire, a hot skillet in hand, using the spatula in his other hand to carefully flip one of the small pancakes in the skillet over to cook the raw side. He wasn’t being completely serious – he was quite certain that Antoine didn't want to try eating leaves anytime soon - but when he received no response, he glanced over at Antoine. He was staring off into space, his mind no doubt elsewhere. Intrigued, Stormblaze addressed Antoine in a raised voice. "Is there something on your mind, Little Wolf?"  
     
Hearing Stormblaze that time, Antoine started. "Huh? Oh, _désolé_. I was just thinking that I have not been doing very much good on my quest so far." Getting up, he started pacing back and forth. "I need to be doing something heroic, something that will be setting _moi_ apart from everyone else!"  
     
"Give it time, or else you will drive yourself mad," Stormblaze soothed, casually waving the spatula at him. "Our journey is far from over. One cannot rush these kinds of things."  
     
"But I feel like I have been waiting forever!" Antoine threw his hands up in the air. "First I was having to wait for years until I could finally be thinking of my brilliant plan to leave on a quest in the first place! But what good is going on one if I am not able to do anything amazing?"  
     
"I sympathize with your sentiments. The Source knows that I arrived on these shores craving adventure myself. We will be in Sierra Verde soon enough, and you will get your action then, that I assure you."  
     
"If you are saying so…" Antoine replied, though an element of doubt lingered in his voice.  
     
"As your elder, you should heed my words. After all, we are supposed to be older and wiser then everyone else, are we not?"  
     
Antoine understood that Stormblaze only meant his remark as a joke, but still couldn't help scoffing. "Elder? You are only being a few years older than I am!"  
     
Stormblaze laughed heartily. "I'm afraid you're quite wrong. I am actually fifty years old."  
     
Antoine looked at Stormblaze with renewed fascination. "Really? Unicorns are being immortal, _oui_?" The legends couldn't quite seem to agree whether unicorns were true immortals or just possessed of exceptionally long life spans.  
     
"Well, we're not immortal per say. There are things that can kill us. War, for instance." Stormblaze said with a hint of wryness. Seeing that the pancakes were done, he scooped them up with the spatula and set each down on a stack of seven previously cooked pancakes resting on a plate close he kept at hand. "But as long as we are allowed to age uninterrupted, then our bodies do so at a much slower rate than a mortal's body, and we live longer as well," He continued. "The oldest unicorn I personally have ever heard of was three hundred-and-sixty years old."  
     
Their discussion was disrupted by a mournful howl in the distance. Antoine jumped and looked around wildly, his complaints and everything else forgotten for the moment. The first howl was soon answered by another one that sounded closer to their location.  
     
"What is that?" Stormblaze took a look around for himself, trying to spot the source of the haunting cries.  
     
"Wolves," Antoine answered, feeling his heart rate returning to normal. He had heard the howling of wolves before, but that didn't make it any less startling to just suddenly hear out in the middle of nowhere. So there were wolves in the area then. He wondered if it was the Wolf Pack, a group of Freedom Fighters who operated out of a largely uncharted region to the west of the Acorn Kingdom referred to as the Great Unknown, but then figured they probably wouldn't trek this far out of their usual range. Whoever these wolves were, hopefully they were friendly.  
     
With the food finally done, he and Stormblaze shared a breakfast of plain pancakes between them. Antoine found himself sorely missing things like butter, syrup, and jam, but Stormblaze had managed to hunt down some berries earlier to go with their meal, which made the pancakes slightly more palatable. Once they were through eating, the pair packed the tent up along with the rest of their gear, strewed sand on the fire to put it out, and moved on.  
  
Sure enough, eventually they spied a wolf. The sleek gray figure was crouched on a rock outcropping far across the valley, a long spear in one hand, apparently in the act of observing them. They had nearly missed seeing it because the other Mobian's coat so closely matched the color of the stone; only the indigo hue of its clothing stood out. Due to the distance between the wolf and Antoine and Stormblaze, it was difficult for them to make out any distinguishing physical features it might have had, but judging by the physique it was probably female.  
     
Shortly after they sighted the wolf, seven other wolves of varying colors, sizes, and shapes melted like ghosts out of the early morning shadows formed by the pines and congregated around the outcropping. The first wolf gracefully leapt down to land feet first among her fellows. Antoine and Stormblaze watched the large canines as they appeared to converse with one another. It dawned on Antoine that there was something familiar about these wolves.  
     
"It _is_ being the Wolf Pack." He finally said.  
     
"You know them?"  
     
" _Oui_. They are also being Freedom Fighters. My comrades and I were meeting them when we were out searching for other Freedom Fighter groups. The gray _femme_ is their leader Lupe," Antoine verified. "I am not recognizing the black or white wolves though."  
     
"Why don't we go over and say hello?" Stormblaze suggested.  
     
Antoine frowned. "Since when were you being the social type, Stormblaze?"  
     
"You act as if they're going to eat us or something." He teased in return. "If they are allies of your little group, then they should not have a problem with us greeting them."  
     
Antoine just mumbled under his breath as he lowered his eyes and kicked at a stone. He correctly figured that Stormblaze wasn't about to change his mind no matter how much he protested. Personally, he felt somewhat uncomfortable about approaching the Wolf Pack. As leader of her pack, Lupe outranked both him and Stormblaze, and being one so focused on protocol and tradition, it seemed disrespectful to Antoine to approach her and her pack without being invited over first. Plus, he found the wolves to be… well, somewhat disconcerting to be around at times. He couldn't quite put his finger on exactly why they made him so nervous. He knew this fear of his was strange even for him. There was no denying that the Wolf Pack were useful allies in the war against Robotnik, but they could be intense. Perhaps their big pointed teeth and fearsome fighting abilities also played a role in why he tended to become so uneasy around them. Generally, the intimidation seemed completely unintentional on the pack's part, but he had no idea how they would react to his and Stormblaze's presences there. He still clearly recalled from his first encounter with the Wolf Pack the fact that they didn't care much for strangers who just suddenly showed up without warning.  
     
Stormblaze however, clearly shared none of Antoine's compunctions. With easy confidence he tread towards the wolves, who watched his approach with as much interest as he had viewed them with earlier.  
     
"Hail, children of nature!" Stormblaze called out. Stopping before Lupe, he bent his right knee and bowed. This was actually a traditional formal unicorn greeting, but he figured using it would not blow his cover, since most creatures had not seen such a greeting in ages and would therefore not recognize the significance of it. Standing again, he said, "Forgive our intrusion onto your lands, your ladyship. We are merely passing through."  
     
Pleased by the stranger's show of respect, Lupe smiled pleasantly and elegantly inclined her head towards him. She recognized him as being a fellow warrior, and he her. "Well met, _amigo_ horse. This land belongs to all, so do not worry. No offense was taken." Her gaze traveled over to Antoine, who was reluctantly trailing after Stormblaze. Quickly recognizing him, she bowed her head to him as well before addressing him. "Greetings, Antoine. Are you not with the other Knothole Freedom Fighters?"  
     
_"Bonjour, mademoiselle_ Lupe. _Bonjour_ , everybody. Um, no, I am not being with them this time." Antoine replied in an exceedingly polite manner, wishing he had Stormblaze's self-assurance. He prayed he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt. He stopped five or so feet away from the pack and did not advance any further. Lupe still looked as she always had: athletic and tall, bearing the grace and majesty of a queen. Although she was in her thirties, she was still undeniably beautiful, yet at the same time gave off the distinct impression that she was not someone to be trifled with.  
     
"I decided I was needing some time apart from my _mon amies_." Antoine continued. "This is my friend, Edward Equinus." He indicated the disguised unicorn, who raised a fist and lightly thumped his chest in a greeting meant for the rest of the wolves.  
     
Surprised by Antoine's explanation, Lupe arched an eyebrow, but when she spoke again, her voice did not betray her feelings. "I see. It is an honor to meet you, Edward. These are my packmates. Canus," She gestured to the well-built pale blue wolf, who offered a friendly smile, "Reynard," The brown wolf presented Antoine and Stormblaze with a cheerful grin, "Lyco and Leeto," The two pretty pink-furred females who looked to be twin sisters smiled and bowed to them at the same time, "Diablo," The ochre-colored wolf merely gave the two travelers a curt nod, his expression neutral, "And Luna and Seff." Lupe gestured to the two lanky youths who Antoine hadn't recognized. They were studying the newcomers with great curiosity before suddenly remembering their manners and hastily offering bows.  
     
Luna, the smoky black female, was garbed in a tan buckskin one-piece dress, the fringed hem of which ended above her knees, a brown belt, and brown sandals. Her dark gray headfur was tied back into a braid that trailed down to the small of her back. Seff was white, with a splash of faint cream marking his forehead and the bridge of his muzzle. He was clad in a dark red vest and brown sandals. Both looked to be only slightly older then Tails, maybe around twelve or thirteen, and shared similar features with one another and with Lupe. Perhaps they were related to her in some way. Lupe had mentioned having two cubs before, but Antoine knew they were younger then the preteens in front of him and Stormblaze.  
     
"An honor to meet you all." Stormblaze said, dipping his head in the direction of each wolf as he or she was introduced.  
     
"Perhaps the both of you would like to stay as our guests tonight?" Lupe offered.  
     
"If her ladyship insists." Stormblaze answered with a grin. Stooping, he nudged Antoine in the ribs with an elbow. "Come on, surely we can stop over for a bit."  
     
Antoine turned the idea over in his mind. Since Lupe had extended the offer to them first, he supposed there wasn't any harm in staying. Besides, maybe he could use the downtime to think some more about what he could do on their quest.  
     
"Well, I suppose it could not be hurting …" Antoine quietly answered.  
     
The Wolf Pack escorted Antoine and Stormblaze to a spacious clearing surrounded by trees and other plant life, and it was there they had set up camp. Seven tipis stood in the center of the glade, grouped together in a loose semi-circle. These served as the pack's individual lodgings.  
     
Along the way, Antoine couldn't help noticing how much the wolves greatly respected and liked Lupe. This was clear in not only how they addressed her, but listened to and carried out her orders. It didn't seem to be solely because she was their leader either, even though she carried herself with the authority and confidence of an alpha. For Antoine, this was extraordinary. He wished he could get that kind of respect from others, especially his fellow Freedom Fighters. He wondered why he had never really noticed any of this about the Wolf Pack before, but supposed he just hadn't been very observant when around them.  
     
Come to think of it, he didn't know Lupe very well, or any of the other wolves for that matter. Since he was there, maybe he could take the opportunity to get to know them better. Perhaps doing so would help alleviate his fear of them. Lupe might even be able to help him in learning how to be a better Freedom Fighter and warrior. After all, she certainly had no shortage of strength and courage. But he was uncertain about asking her aid. After all, would a great chieftain like Lupe really want to be bothered with some lowly coward like himself? Though she was congenial to all the Knothole Freedom Fighters whenever they and the Wolf Pack crossed paths, from what he had observed, Lupe seemed to converse with Princess Sally and Sonic the most.  
     
He knew that Stormblaze would chide him for his hesitation. Speaking of his mentor, Antoine noticed that he seemed to have taken quite a liking to the wolves, Lupe included, which struck him as odd considering all the negative things Stormblaze had said about nobility before.  
     
Reynard had taken notice of the longbow Stormblaze carried and started asking him questions about it – what it was made from, how skilled was he at using it, and so on. Somehow that turned into an informal archery contest between Stormblaze, Reynard, and Leeta. Presently, each was taking turns firing at a target that Reynard had set up about thirty meters away, a stuffed manikin which hung from a tree. A small audience consisting of Antoine, Canus, Seff, Luna, and Lyco gathered around to watch.  
     
Antoine was rather surprised when he was approached by Seff and Luna. Even though neither wolf was not yet fully grown and therefore not as tall as the adult wolves, Seff and Luna still had Antoine by a couple of inches, with Seff being the taller of the two. While wolves were naturally larger than coyotes and even a number of domestic dogs, the fact that Antoine had to look up at the younger canines was still disconcerting to him. For the longest time, Antoine hoped he would get a little taller than what he presently was. Granted, while he did stand taller than most of the other Freedom Fighters at three foot nine (with the exception of Rotor, who was several inches taller at four foot two, and Dulcy, who was easily bigger than everybody else combined), by large canine standards he really wasn't very tall at all. He remembered grousing about his height to Rosie before, and the old woodchuck reassuring him that he was just a late bloomer and probably still had some growing to do.  
     
Seff was the first to speak. "Hey Antoine, where are you from? We've never heard anyone who talked like you before."  
     
Antoine wasn't sure where this question was leading. More often than not, his manner of speech and strong accent were subjects of derision among others, which he found strange, not to mention very annoying. It wasn't like he had specifically asked to have parents from southern Mercia. Bunnie had a heavy accent as well, but no one had ever given her any trouble about it. _'Then again, that could be because most Mobians know better than to get on Bunnie's bad side in the first place.'_ He thought. That, plus the fact the other Freedom Fighters like Princess Sally (who was Bunnie's closest female friend in the group) watched out for their _lapine_ comrade – something he felt they rarely would do for him. While he knew it would be ridiculous if he allowed himself to become incensed by the taunts of a couple of cubs, Antoine really was tired of all the mockery aimed his way for something as trivial as the way he sounded.  
     
"Well… I was spending much time in southern Mercia as a pup. The Mobians in the northern regions, they are mainly speaking English, while those in the south speak _Français_ like I am doing." He carefully answered.  
  
However, he only received inquisitive looks from the siblings.  
  
"Mercia? What's it like there?" Seff asked.  
  
"We haven't traveled very much before. Well, until now." Luna put in. She seemed a little embarrassed by the disclosure.  
  
Antoine glanced from Luna to Seff. Very few Mobians had shown much interest in listening to him discuss Mercia (or much of anything else for that matter), so he couldn't believe these two actually wanted to. "The two of you are really being interested in hearing about Mercia?"  
  
"Well, yeah," Seff gave a matter-of-fact shrug of his shoulders. "What, is it boring there or something?"  
  
"What? _Non, non!_ I have not been there since I was being seven, but Mercia is one of the most _belle_ places you will ever see. In the winter, the whole of the countryside is covered in the most purest, whitest snow. Everything is almost looking like a fairy tale. Then when it is turning summer, you can go to the coast and swim or sail in the ocean. Mercia is also having a great, noble history. There are being mighty kings and evil pirates and fearless knights…"  
  
At the mention of kings, pirates, and knights, the cubs' eyes lit up. They were sincerely fascinated by what he had to say, so with a happy grin Antoine proceeded to launch into a few yarns from Mercia's historic past. First he related the tale of a young queen back in medieval Mercia who had been captured by pirates, but managed to free herself in time to assist her husband the king, who had come to her rescue with his band of knights, in battling the pirates and their vicious leader. Over the course of his storytelling, Antoine's tone steadily grew more and more passionate. It was clear that Mercia was a subject close to his heart. Even Canus, who had been closely watching the archery competition, became interested when he overheard Antoine telling another story about a cook who had disguised himself as a knight in order to battle a sorceress who had enchanted everyone in his liege's castle.  
  
As he interacted with Seff and Luna, Antoine came to decide that he rather liked the siblings. Over time he had come to notice that for whatever reasons, he just had a tendency to get along better with those younger than himself, like Tails, as opposed to Mobians who were closer to him in age. Seff proved to be quite talkative and guileless. He also expressed a desire to travel across Mobius and visit its' various countries (including Mercia). On the other hand, Luna appeared to be the somewhat more reserved and sophisticated of the two, in both personality and how she carried herself. Overall though, both were good-natured.  
  
Close by the little group, a mixed chorus of cheers and groans erupted, grabbing the four canines' attention and causing them to turn towards the clamor. It would seem that the archery contest was over with. Antoine had become so engrossed in his storytelling that he had missed out on its conclusion.  
  
Luna glanced around, her eyes settling upon the tipis before she climbed to her feet with urgency as if though suddenly realizing something. "Seff, time for chores." She told her brother before flashing Antoine a bright smile. "Those stories were pretty cool."  
  
Seff groaned. Obviously he wasn't looking forward to working, but he too stood. "Yeah, they were. You know, you should stick around tonight for our tita's stories – she knows lots of good ones too." He and Luna waved good-bye before taking off.  
  
"Everyone here appreciates a good story. Not only are they entertaining, especially on these long treks, but they're also a good way of teaching." Canus told Antoine in a soft voice that didn't match his hulking frame. "I never knew any of that about this place… Mercia, you called it?" He looked to Antoine for confirmation and received a nod. "Sorry, world geography isn't something the pack really focuses on. Well, I better go check on the food. No one wants burnt soup for dinner." He chuckled.  
  
His last words roused Antoine's interest. "You cook, _monsieur_?"  
  
"That I can." Canus replied. "Apparently I make the best meals out of everybody here, so I was put in charge of preparing our food."  
  
As Canus was leaving, Stormblaze ambled over to Antoine. The other wolves had dispersed as well, leaving their guests to themselves as they went about their daily business around camp.  
  
"It's not as terrible being here as you believed it would be, eh?" Stormblaze asked as he and Antoine began walking side-by-side around the camp's perimeters. Neither had a particular destination in mind, but simply just wanted to give their legs a stretch.  
  
Antoine tried to put on a show of apathy, giving a prim sniff and turning his head away from the unicorn. "I suppose not."  
  
Stormblaze chuckled softly. Antoine's animated conversation with Luna, Seff, and Canus had not escaped his attention. "You don't much care for admitting when you're wrong, do you?"  
  
"Would you? Especially when it is seeming like you are always being wrong about something?" That had come out harsher then what Antoine had actually intended, and he winced. "Sorry."  
  
Fortunately, Stormblaze sensed that he wasn't intentionally being belligerent, and did not take offense. "May I inquire why you were so reluctant to see the Wolf Pack initially?" He made sure to drop his voice so that he wouldn't be accidentally overheard by their hosts. "Granted, that Diablo fellow isn't very friendly, but are the rest of them not as respectable as they appear?"  
  
Their walk had taken them away from the camp and into the forest. Startled by the presence of intruders, a twerl scampered up to the highest branch of a maple, where the small furry creature proceeded to loudly scold them with its raucous chattering. Slowing their pace, the pair stopped to stand beneath a tall white pine tree.  
  
"They are being alright," Antoine quietly replied, then, as an afterthought, added, "Well, except Diablo. He is always mad for some reason or another. It is just that… I feel like I do not belong here. It is a little overwhaling to be around the Wolf Pack. They are all good, brave fighters. I am very low-ranking among the Freedom Fighters and not being a warrior at all. It is not helping that they probably could eat me if they really wanted to."  
  
"One," Stormblaze held up an index finger, "The word you seek is 'overwhelming', not 'overwhaling'."  
  
"Overwhelming, _oui_." Antoine nodded vigorously, trying to commit the word to memory.  
  
"Secondly, who cares if you are not yet a warrior? Frankly, I detest all that 'high rank' and 'low rank' nonsense. Is that some sort of canine thing, or a social class issue? Probably both, I would wager. Mobians should feel free to mingle with whomever they please. You wish to be a warrior? Well, we are in the company of warriors." He pointed back towards the camp behind them. Leeta and Lyco could be seen sitting together outside their respective tipis, polishing spear heads and other bladed weapons. "Perhaps you can learn more from them. Finally, I don't believe that they wish to eat you. I imagine all those buttons and these epaulettes would be quite difficult on their poor stomachs." Stormblaze playfully prodded the gold ornamental piece covering the right shoulder of Antoine's uniform, making him laugh in spite of himself.  
  
"Anyways, just continue behaving the same way you were earlier when you while speaking to Canus and the cubs. Stop worrying about impressing everyone and just relax."  
  
"If you are saying so. I will try to be relaxing." Antoine replied, feeling somewhat better. Stormblaze was right; he probably had absolutely nothing to worry about. The Wolf Pack had never actually done anything to him that would truly give him any cause for alarm. Besides, Stormblaze was here with him.  
  
Remembering something, Antoine looked at Stormblaze. "Who was winning the contest between you, Leeta, and Reynard?"  
  
Stormblaze gave Antoine a sidelong glance before carefully answering, "I'm sorry, the who and the what now?"  
  
"You know, the archery contest." Antoine said, puzzled as to why Stormblaze was being evasive all of a sudden.  
  
"Ah yes, the, uh, contest," Stormblaze scratched the side of his neck. If Antoine didn't know any better, he would have guessed that Stormblaze was embarrassed. "Well, one could say that we were all winners in our own way…"

"You were not winning?"  
  
"Ah… no. Missed by a few shots." Stormblaze grimaced.  
  
"Would some sword practice with _moi_ be helping you to feel better?" Antoine lightly offered.  
  
Stormblaze grinned. "Well, I need to trounce someone to recover my lost pride, so I suppose you'll have to do."  
________________________________________  
     
When supper was done, Stormblaze and Antoine sat down to eat with the pack. Blankets had been laid out on the grass, and a fire was blazing. The main course was roast meat, but luckily for Stormblaze there was also cornbread and bean and prairie turnip soup, which he gladly took. Everyone settled down around the fire pit to eat.  
     
Trying some of the meat and the cornbread for himself, Antoine was surprised to realize that Canus was actually a good cook.  
     
"Is there something wrong back in Knothole, Antoine?" Reynard suddenly asked.  
     
Antoine, who was seated next to Stormblaze, glanced over at Reynard, a slightly perplexed look on his face. "What are you meaning?"  
     
"Well earlier, you said that you needed some time apart from the other Knothole Freedom Fighters," Reynard casually pointed out. "So we were all just wondering if there was something going on there." Among the Wolf Pack, Reynard was known to be the most curious member. This had the effect of making him exceptionally observant as well.  
     
"Oh, er, everything there was being fine when I was leaving," Antoine quickly replied, feeling self-conscious. He focused his attention on his plate, feeling the gaze of all eight wolves on him now. _'Please do not ask about Sonic, please_ do not _ask about Sonic…'_  
     
Nodding understandingly, Reynard gave him a disarming smile. "That's good to know. You know, we were pretty surprised to see you all the way out here in the Greenbacks. I mean, whenever we do run into you, you're usually with your group or back in the Acorn Kingdom. I imagine you're not here on vacation."  
     
"Reynard, that was easily one of the least subtle methods of questioning somebody I've ever seen you use. You're nosier then an old otterwife." Lyco remarked from her spot beside Reynard, looking at him with something like disapproval.  
     
"Sorry. Guess I'm just off my game," Reynard grinned innocently at her before looking back at Antoine. "Anyways Antoine, you don't have to answer this nosy old wolf if you don't want to."  
     
Antoine didn't really want to go into exactly why he had left Knothole, fearing mockery, but felt he really had no other option but to now that that particular door had been opened. If he remained secretive about his quest, then that would probably make the Wolf Pack even more curious to learn what he was up to, especially Reynard. So reluctantly he admitted, "Well… the reason I am out here is because I am being on a quest to prove myself." He braced himself, awaiting the ridicule he just knew would be heaped upon him. Would Stormblaze stand up for him when the pack started laughing at him?  
     
But no laughter came. Most of the wolves were staring at him in surprise, even Diablo. Lupe, as well as Luna and Seff, seemed to be more intrigued by his statement. Needless to say, it wasn't the reaction Antoine was expecting, though he was quite relieved that he wasn't being teased.  
     
"I think that's a good idea," Leeta finally said, giving Antoine an encouraging smile. "It actually sounds like what they're going to be doing." She indicated Luna and Seff.  
     
Seff nodded. "Tomorrow morning we're going on our Spirit Quest."  
     
"You are having quests too?" Antoine asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.  
     
"Of course we do," Diablo rumbled, scowling at Antoine from across the fire pit where he sat. "Or did you think we were too savage and uncivilized to come up with such concepts?"  
     
"What?” Laughing nervously, Antoine defensively raised his hands. “Oh no no no! T-that is not what I was meaning at all! I just thought that only k-k-knights were having quests!"  
     
_"Diablo."_   Lupe sent her packmate a pointed stare. Catching the warning, Diablo returned to his meal, though there was still a slight frown on his face.  
     
"I think that what Diablo was trying to say," Canus calmly began, "is that we do indeed have quests, only we formally call them 'Spirit Quests'. See, when a young wolf reaches a certain age, they're sent on a journey across the Greenbacks to the Cave of Shadows. They have to spend an entire night inside the cave. They get no assistance from their packmates, must abstain from food and water for the entire day, and aren't allowed to take anything with them but a spear for protection."  
     
_'So that’s what the Wolf Pack is doing way out here.'_   Antoine thought. He supposed that journeying across the wilderness with nothing but a spear was hard, but staying one night inside a cave? How hard could that really be? Shouldn't a proper quest take a little longer? That time however he wisely chose to keep his comments to himself lest he offend Diablo or the others again, only nodding at Canus' explanation instead.  
     
Lupe must have noticed the look of incredulity that had passed over his face though, for she remarked,  "The Cave of Shadows isn't just any ordinary cave. Stories have been handed down over many generations of the strange visions and sights that sometimes come to those who enter it. Even some of the bravest wolves have been driven mad by what they've seen there."  
     
Listening to her, Antoine couldn't help casting an uneasy glance over his shoulder. With the approach of dusk, the landscape around them suddenly didn't look so majestic and pastoral anymore.  
     
Seff just scowled. "I'm not scared. I'll stay a hundred nights in that old cave if I have to!"  
     
The other wolves chuckled at his youthful bravado, even Lupe. "It doesn't happen to every single wolf who goes inside." she replied. "What one is actually supposed to see are visions of their own future. No one can explain why some wolves see different things than their peers do."  
     
"It sounds like a most curious phenomenon." Stormblaze commented, swallowing his latest bit of cornbread. It was his four piece so far.  
     
"Truthfully Antoine, I never thought you would ever be interested in this sort of thing, but I think it's good you are," Reynard told him. "You might end up discovering some things about yourself on your journey. I remember my own Spirit Quest like it was yesterday…" He looked off into space, no doubt reminiscing about his experience. "Remember, Diablo, Canus?"  
     
Diablo snorted. "Yeah. I remember having to pull your tail out of trouble when you decided not to listen to Canus and me - as usual - and got too close to that hot spring."  
     
"Hmph." Reynard crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air, pretending to be offended. "I don't know what you're talking about. I do seem to remember you making a fool out of yourself when you tried crossing that river though. You looked like the world's biggest drowned rat!" He laughed.  
     
"I seem to remember the two of you fighting a lot. That felt like the _longest_ trip I've ever been on." Canus sighed. His comment earned laughter from everyone, except an irritated-looking Diablo.  
________________________________________  
     
After dinner, during which Canus and Lupe encouraged Stormblaze and Antoine to eat as much as they wished, everybody stayed up late into the night sharing stories and singing songs. Seff had been right – Lupe was a skilled storyteller. A number of the stories she told were personal anecdotes, and she also would insert clever humor into the tales she wove. After some prodding from Canus and the others, even Antoine eventually joined in and shared a story or two.  
     
Antoine also came to discover that Luna and Seff were indeed Lupe's niece and nephew. According to them, three months ago, their parents had sent them to join the Wolf Pack so that they could be trained in the art of war and assist the pack in battling Robotnik.  
     
Lupe ended up sending Luna and Seff off to bed before everyone else, stating that they were going to need their rest for tomorrow. Eventually, everyone else had turned in as well. Only Antoine was still awake, wandering aimlessly through the now-quiet camp.  
     
At the moment, he seemed to be one of only two Mobians not in a tipi (or tent in his case). Stormblaze was the other. But he was sleeping outside, having sworn off sleeping in the tent after trying to several days ago, complaining of how uncomfortable it turned out to be. Antoine had tried to fall asleep, but had had no luck in doing so, only seeming able to toss and turn in his sleeping bag instead. He had shined his boots three times already, but even that hadn't done the trick. He didn't want to bother Stormblaze with his problems, not when he was peacefully dozing, so he had decided to get up and go for a walk instead. There was just simply too much on his mind for him to relax now.  
     
While Antoine was very grateful that Stormblaze was now training him, he just wished there was a way to make the training progress faster. To him, the sword lessons became repetitive at times, and Stormblaze would even have him perform training exercises that they wouldn't have made first-year students at La Vallette do. He’d explained this as his wanting Antoine to re-familiarize himself with the basics. But Antoine still felt like he had not improved his fighting skills much, and he certainly wasn't any braver then before. With the way he presently was, he would be of no help to Stormblaze. He wondered how long it’d taken Lupe and the other adult wolves to learn their combat skills and if the process had been as difficult for them as it was turning out to be for him. He wouldn't have been surprised if they had succeeded in sailing through their training like it had been nothing.  
     
Speaking of the Wolf Pack, the more Antoine had gone over the idea in his mind, the more interesting Luna and Seff's Spirit Quest sounded. He would've really liked to have seen what it was like for himself. He was also trying to muster up the courage to approach Lupe about his problems. He had thought of several different ways to strike up a conversation with her, but then the more he considered them, the more absurd and banal they would sound.  
     
"Antoine?"  
     
Startled at suddenly hearing a voice in the darkness call his name, Antoine let out an undignified yelp and tried to run in the opposite direction, only to trip and land roughly on the ground when he accidentally stepped in a small hole. Sitting up with a groan, he saw that it was just Lupe, looking down at him with curiosity.  
     
_"Veuillez accepter mes excuses!"_   Antoine gasped, wide eyes staring up at her. Remembering his manners, he hastily averted his gaze and lowered his head. Among canines, directly staring at someone was considered incredibly rude, and doing so to such a high-ranking individual like Lupe was not only downright disrespectful, but a challenge to their dominance as well. Oh, he must have looked so foolish just then! Heat crept up the back of his neck, and he pinned his ears back. "Please be excusing my clumsiness, _mademoiselle_." He hurriedly apologized.  
     
Calmly, Lupe waved him off. "It is my fault for startling you." She extended a hand towards him. When he hesitated, she offered a comforting smile. "It is perfectly fine. I don't bite."  
     
Still feeling somewhat awkward, Antoine finally accepted her outstretched hand. As Lupe helped him up, her piercing blue eyes studied him closely. "What are you still doing up? The hour is late."  
     
"I… um, could not sleep." He sheepishly admitted, still not able to meet her gaze.  
     
Eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Lupe tilted her head a bit as she continued to consider him. "Is your heart troubled?"  
     
To Antoine's surprise, she seemed genuinely concerned about him. Before, whenever the Knothole Freedom Fighters and the Wolf Pack would come together for a mission or something, some of the time he didn't think Lupe even took any notice of his presence. Nervously he ran a hand through his hair. "Er, actually… I-I am wondering how can I be a strong warrior, like you are being?"  
     
The wolf's expression turned thoughtful at having such a query posed to her. "That is a good question." As she started to turn away, she gestured for him to follow. "Come, let us walk."  
     
As Lupe walked, she kept her pace leisurely so Antoine could more easily keep up with her longer stride. "I draw my strength from those I love, and my faith in the Great Wolf," she explained. "You must do the same. Find strength in what you hold dear. When you have faith in someone or something, then you'll discover that you can do anything you put your mind to. This might come as a surprise, but there are times when even I feel scared."  
     
Antoine stared disbelievingly at Lupe. "How is that being? You are not seeming to be scared of anything! I… I have no courage." Ashamed by his admission, he looked down at his boots.  
     
Lupe chuckled. It was a soft, gentle laugh, not a condescending or scornful one. "Noble or commoner, Mobian or Overlander, everyone has something they're frightened of, Antoine. I fear for the safety of my family and my other loved ones, but when I think of them and what I must do to protect them, I no longer feel afraid. Fear is just an emotion. It isn't something that’s inherently bad. It’s even useful because it makes you aware of danger. I imagine creatures would constantly be doing very stupid things if they lacked fear. Fear only becomes bad when you allow it to control you."  
     
_'Fear controls my life, that's for certain.'_   Antoine thought. He believed he understood what Lupe meant. "So… to become stronger and braver, I must be thinking of the Mobians I love and the things I believe in?" He tentatively asked.  
     
She nodded. "Yes. These loved ones could be your friends, like Edward, or family members --"  
     
At the mention of 'family members', Antoine flinched as though he had been physically struck. While the pain of losing his family had gradually subsided to a dull ache over time, sometimes it would return in full force and at the most random times. Lupe, who still had a husband and cubs (though she had chosen to willingly part ways with them for the time being), was fortunate to not know what that pain was like.  
     
His reaction didn't escape Lupe's notice. "I am sorry about your family," She said, her voice solemn. "Even if they are no longer with you, you can still fight in honor of their memories."  
     
As Antoine had never spoken about his family to any of the wolves before, Lupe hadn't been aware of their circumstances, so he was more than willing to forgive her. Lupe's suggestion was brilliant. He would fight in honor of his mother, father, and the rest of his family, wherever they were, and make them proud! "Thank you, _mademoiselle_. My father is – or was, I am not sure which -- being a great general and one of the finest fighters in the king's whole army. I have looked up to him since I was able to be walking. That is why I wear his uniform." He gestured to the ornamental outfit.  
     
"It is good to have someone to admire, but I believe we all must walk our own paths someday. That is what twenty years of leading the Pack has taught me. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your father, but if you focus so much on trying to be him, then will you still really be yourself? Who will your pups look up to?"  
     
Antoine was quiet as he absorbed her words. What she was telling him was utterly astonishing. He had never considered any of that before.  
     
"Is part of the reason why you left Knothole because you seek to improve yourself?" She suddenly asked, glancing over at him.  
     
Antoine gave a nod of affirmation. " _Oui, mademoiselle_. I am wanting to be a better Freedom Fighter so I can prove myself to everyone, especially the princess."  
     
"So you still have feelings for Sally?"  
     
A little embarrassed by the forwardness of the question, Antoine felt his cheeks burn, but nodded anyways. " _Oui_. But she is liking Sonic better than she does _moi_." He let out a glum sigh as he peered up at the half moon above that gazed silently back at them.  
     
"Well, they spend a lot of time together, do they not? I believe they value the strength of their friendship."  
     
Lupe had a point. When Antoine and Sally were small, they had actually been good friends owing to the relationship between their respective families. They weren’t as close as he and Sally’s older brother Elias were, but they were still on friendly terms with each other. But then Antoine had to leave Mobotropolis for Delmont, Mercia, which lay far across the White Sea, when he was eight years old, and remained there for two years. When he returned to the Kingdom of Acorn at the age of ten, he felt like he was in an alien land surrounded by foreigners, none of whom could speak the language that he had grown extremely used to both hearing and using and who had a completely different culture from that of Mercia. Even Sally had seemed like a total stranger to him for awhile. It didn't help matters any that both youths had basically been uprooted from their homes. Since that time, things hadn't really been the same between him and Sally. During his absence, she and the other future Freedom Fighters had bonded together tightly, and he had completely missed out on that.  
     
"But how am I to be completing with that?" Antoine asked, unable to mask the frustration in his voice.  
  
"Completing?…" Confusion fell across Lupe's face before being replaced by understanding. "Oh. _Competing_." Antoine nodded. "Well, don't try to compete with Sonic. Be yourself."  
  
"But… but what if Sally is not liking myself – er, the real me?"  
  
"Even if she isn't romantically interested in you, I believe she would prefer to see more of the real you. We females appreciate sincerity. Trust me on this, Antoine. You could say I'm an expert on the subject." She smiled good-humoredly, and Antoine couldn't help but smile as well at the joke.  
  
Lupe set her hand on his shoulder. "Well, I believe this quest of yours' is a very noble cause. I wish you luck."  
  
Antoine regarded Lupe with a mixture of joy and awe. She actually supported his idea! He was surprised that she was so willing to listen to him talk about his problems and give him advice in turn. If he had known things were going to turn out this well, then he would have spoken to her earlier. He found himself admiring Lupe even more than before, although prior to their discussion, that admiration had been mingled with fear. But since having come to see that Lupe was a perfectly nice Mobian, that fear was gone. She wasn't just nice either - in his book, she was as incredible as Stormblaze was.  
  
"There is being one more thing I would like to ask of you, _mademoiselle_." Antoine began. Stopping, he wrung his hands, unsure of how she might react to his request, but Lupe merely nodded for him to go on. "… May I go with Seff and Luna when they are leaving for their Spirit Quest? I know I am hardly being a pup, but I am thinking that going with them could be useful for _mon_ own quest."  
  
Lupe solemnly shook her head. "I apologize, but I cannot. You are part of Sally's pack, and if something were to happen to you, then not only would I be very upset, but I would also feel responsible for allowing you to leave in the first place. Spirit Quests can be very dangerous, even for the toughest wolf."  
  
"Oh." Antoine's ears and tail wilted before he caught himself and "manned up", as Sonic would say. He didn't want to look like some sulking pup in front of Lupe. Trying his best to sound nonchalant, he replied, "Well, I am understanding this."  
  
"Good. I have found our conversation most enlightening, but you should probably go get some rest now," Lupe said, her voice taking on just a touch of motherly command. "If you like, you can stay on with us until Seff and Luna have returned so they can tell you about their experience."  
  
_"Merci, mademoiselle._ I am thinking I will do just that." Bowing to Lupe, he obediently scampered back to his tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations:**
> 
>  
> 
> **French:**
> 
>  
> 
> Belle: Beautiful.
> 
> Désolé: Sorry.
> 
> Femme: Woman.
> 
> Je suis desole: I am sorry.
> 
> Mademoiselle: Madame.
> 
> Petite amie: Girlfriend.
> 
> Veuillez accepter mes excuses: "I am so sorry"; very formal.
> 
>  
> 
> **Spanish:**
> 
>  
> 
> Amigo: Friend.
> 
> Tita: Aunt.


	6. Chapter 6

Antoine trailed behind at a safe distance as Diablo led Seff and Luna across the wide valley, using the cover of the trees ringing the area to conceal himself and being careful to stay upwind so the wolves wouldn't be able to scent him.

Antoine had worried that he wouldn't awaken early enough to catch Luna and Seff in time, but luck was on his side for a change and he managed to catch them just as they were leaving. He still couldn't believe that he was actually defying Lupe like this after telling her he understood why she didn’t want him to go along on the Spirit Quest. But then again, he had recently done a number of things he previously hadn't thought himself capable of doing.

While the advice Lupe had given him last night was helpful, Antoine was still convinced that accompanying Luna and Seff would be an excellent way to make himself stronger. The Wolf Pack would be so surprised to see that he could be just as tough as any of them! He tried to avoid envisioning Lupe's reaction once she discovered his disappearance. He also didn't think Stormblaze would be too pleased at being left out of the loop. He simply figured that if he found some way to make it up to the two of them when he came back, maybe they wouldn't be too upset with him.

Antoine remembered Lupe saying that the Cave of Shadows could reveal the futures of those who ventured inside, but there was a possibility of going mad from the visions as well. He didn't believe Lupe would lie about something like that just to frighten him – she seemed above such childish games. He also couldn't understand how she and the other wolves could be so blasé about sending two of their own, both of whom weren't even teenagers yet, into such a potentially dangerous situation. At least he was seventeen and therefore old enough to better deal with something so harsh and treacherous.

Well… he hoped he was anyways.

After what seemed like ages to him, the lupine trio finally stopped. As Antoine carefully peeked out from between the branches of the pine tree he was currently hiding behind, he saw Diablo standing there with the siblings, and heard him brusquely wish them luck.

Watching Diablo go back the way they had come, a sense of relief washed over Antoine. He would have hated to have been caught by him. He couldn't believe that he had actually thought the other wolves were threatening before getting to know them better. The dark wolf seemed to be in a constant foul mood, and still really hadn't welcomed Antoine or Stormblaze like the rest of the pack had. To be frank, Diablo frightened him.

Once he could no longer see Diablo and was absolutely certain he was gone, Antoine broke cover and approached the youngsters, who had resumed walking after Diablo left. Before Antoine could call out to them, Seff stopped and looked back in his direction, Luna following suit. No doubt they had heard the sounds of his approaching footsteps. Both were armed with simple wooden spears, just as Canus said they would be. Antoine was glad they hadn't chosen to hurl them at him instead of waiting for him to show himself.

Seeing the coydog, Seff's inquisitive face broke into a broad smile. "Hey Antoine! Come to join us?"

Luna on the other hand appeared to be more noticeably concerned by this newest development. "Did you ask Lupe if you could do this?" She inquired, raising one slim eyebrow and scrutinizing Antoine as he drew closer. She had switched her dress out for a more practical teal-colored one-piece outfit like the ones her aunt and Leeta and Lyco wore.

"Not exactly…" Antoine started to cough rather uncomfortably – startlingly enough, there was a lot of Lupe in Luna's steady golden gaze - but he made himself stop and answer more smoothly, "But do not worry. When we are returning, I promise I will be telling everyone that this was mon own idea. So neither of you will be getting into trouble."

Still unsure, Luna looked to Seff. For his part, the white wolf turned his bright blue eyes skyward in thought. "Well… I don't really see anything wrong with letting him come with us," He slowly began. "He did say that he'd be taking the blame. And well, Antoine's never had a Spirit Quest of his own before, so this could be his big chance." He smiled cheerfully once more.

"I guess…" Luna did not sounding very convinced.

Antoine hoped she would eventually come around to his being there. Deciding that a change of topics would be good, he asked, "Exactly what is being the purpose of this Spirit Quest? I am remembering mademoiselle Lupe saying the cave may be showing you your future, but is that all? Will the two of you be getting recognition of some kind from your pack?" He had wanted to ask that during last night's dinner, but Diablo’s accusing him of believing the wolves to be savages had made him too nervous to do so. Antoine could admit that when he and the other Freedom Fighters had first stumbled upon the Wolf Pack, they had put him in mind of those grainy black-and-white photographs and ink drawings of barbarians from wild exotic lands he had seen in old books and newspapers before. But that viewpoint was quickly dispelled when he saw how intelligent Lupe was, and the rest of the pack certainly couldn't be called backwards brutes either.

"You could say that. What'll happen is that we'll officially be considered adults when we return. That means we can do stuff like go into battle, speak at Pack councils, that kind of thing." Luna explained.

"Oh. That is being… good." Antoine replied courteously. He did not wish to be rude, so he didn't say much else. Personally though, he couldn't picture twelve-year olds being very effective in a real battle. Even the Knothole Freedom Fighters hadn't been allowed out on serious missions without adult supervision until they had all reached the ages of fourteen respectively (though that hadn't stopped Sonic from sneaking out to bedevil SWATBots when he was only twelve).

"Yep! Once this is all over with, we'll finally be treated like adults! About high time too!" Seff enthusiastically crowed. "No more curfews and no more being left out all of the fun stuff, like war parties!"

"We'll also get bands like what the adults wear." Luna added.

Until now, Antoine had failed to notice that Luna and Seff lacked the heavy gold bands which adorned the wrists of their packmates. "Are the bands being special?"

"Oh, they just let other wolves know that you've proven yourself," Luna said. "So they can mess with you at their own risk. The more decorated your band is, the higher your rank is in the pack. That's why our tita's are so fancy-looking." A perceptible note of pride crept into her voice.

For the first few hours, the journey was an unremarkable one. The trail gradually moved through the high country, taking them through rolling fields and valleys that were liberally dotted with swathes of lush, verdant timber. A distinctive boulder, the shape of which was said to be reminiscent of the moon during its crescent phase and which had caused it to be bestowed with the oh-so original title of 'Crescent Rock' was supposed to mark the location of the cave.

As the day wore on, the sun climbed higher and higher into the sky, becoming a blazing sphere of intense white-gold as it did. Antoine felt himself growing uncomfortably warm in his uniform, and tugged at his collar. The material the outfit was made from didn't allow very much air to get through to his body. Luna and Seff looked like they were faring much better in the warm weather.

By the time midday rolled around, the question of whether or not they should stop and rest when they had taken three rest breaks already arose, with Seff arguing for having another stopover and Luna taking the opposite stance.

"Come on, Luna! Do you really think we can last the whole day without stopping again?"

"We can stop when we get to Crescent Rock! I don't want to spend the rest of day wandering around trying to find the cave!"

At first Antoine had merely listened to the debate in silence, but as it started growing more heated, he decided he had better intervene. He was tired of listening to them go back and forth, and honestly was looking forward to getting off his feet. The warmth of the sun had felt nice in the slight chill that had accompanied the daybreak, but now it felt like it was practically sapping his energy.

the same thought must have occurred to Seff and Luna, because before Antoine could interject, both turned to him at the same time. "Antoine!"

Luna pointed to Seff, demanding, "Tell him my idea is better!"

"Tell Lu that she's not only acting like a slave driver, but she's crazy!"

Antoine loudly cleared his throat for order. As much as he liked the young wolves, to him it didn't seem as though they were ready to take on the mantle of adulthood just yet. "Actually, I am thinking that taking a break might be wise. Since we cannot be eating any food or water, it would not be healthy for us to keep pushing ourselves in this heat."

Seff flashed Luna a superior grin, earning a dirty look in turn.

"Do not worry, we will not be lingering for long." Antoine quickly said, not wanting Luna to feel slighted just because he had agreed with Seff and not her. "There should still be some daylight left when we make it to the cave."

A tall cottonwood tree not far from their location made for an ideal place for them to rest. They parked themselves in the cool shade provided by the tree's great spreading branches, Seff and Luna plunging their spears into the earth before sitting down.

Antoine smacked his lips in an attempt to alleviate the dryness in his mouth. "I am being parched!"

"Try sucking on a stone." Seff suggested, lounging against the tree’s wide trunk."It's an old trick that takes the edge off your thirst. Rey taught me that."

Antoine reflexively cringed. Pick up a dirty stone from the ground and put it in his mouth? He preferred to stay thirsty.

Seeing Antoine’s grimace, Seff regarded him curiously. "What exactly do you do with the Knothole Freedom Fighters, Antoine?"

Luna glanced in Antoine's direction, also interested in hearing what he had to say.

"Do? Well, uh, I am being the personal bodyguard of Princess Sally." Antoine didn't go into things any further than that, and hoped the cubs wouldn't press him to tell them more. He wasn't looking forward to talking about the unglamorous truth of what his self-appointed position among the Freedom Fighters was really like.

Seff brightened. "You're a bodyguard? That's cool! I'm planning on becoming one of the greatest braves our pack's ever seen, you know." Beaming with pride, he puffed his chest out.

"You're going to have to train your tail off for that to happen." Luna giggled.

"Laugh it up, Miss Know-It-All." Seff snapped back, an irritated growl accenting his words. "What are you gonna become, Pack Busybody?"

Sensing another argument on the horizon, Antoine hastily stepped in. "Everyone must be training to learn how to do anything right. No one is able to be doing anything perfectly in an instant." Luna's teasing had managed to trigger a bête noire of his: seeing someone be doubted by others. Seff shouldn't be discouraged from pursuing his dreams.

"You both can be doing whatever you are wanting to, just as long as you are working hard and believing in yourselves." Antoine added. He found himself surprised by his own words. He had heard the age-old adage of believing in one's self countless times before, but still wasn't entirely sure if it was true or not. Still, just because he might have been a cynic didn't mean he wanted to crush Seff and Luna's aspirations. For the longest time Antoine had largely given up on his own dreams until Stormblaze had entered the picture and began reigniting his hopes.

Seff and Luna fell into a contemplative silence, which Antoine took as a good sign. Perhaps a bit of Stormblaze's knack for dispensing wisdom and encouragement had rubbed off on him somehow.

"Aunt Lupe says the same thing. I just wish training didn't have to take so long." Seff finally said.

"Sometimes I do think it could move little quicker than it has been..." Luna seemed to hesitantly admit.

Antoine nodded in understanding. That he had no advice for, seeing as how he felt the same way. "It is seeming that way, no? What do your packmates say when you are telling them this?"

"Same thing they tell us every time --" Sitting up, Seff launched into an impersonation of his elders, making his voice deeper and adopting an expression that looked so grave it was almost comical. "'Seff, you need to learn patience. Seff, you can't just rush these kinds of things.'"

Luna rolled her eyes at Seff's capering, but giggled quietly in spite of herself. When it was unanimously agreed that their stop had lasted long enough, they moved on. Antoine was starting to think that this whole Spirit Quest thing wasn't that bad after all. Well, aside from the heat, thirst, and hunger, none of which were exactly pleasant. But still, he had been expecting something much worse than even those things, like having to climb a mountain, or swim across a raging river filled with hungry pike.

Soon Antoine found himself eating his words.

He had been following Seff and Luna, not really paying much attention to their surroundings. Seeing his companions suddenly freeze in their tracks, he wondered why they had stopped until he followed their riveted gazes.

An immense gorge stretched out before them, a long gash in the earth. The only thing connecting the side that they were on to the other was a long and rather ancient-looking wooden bridge.

Approaching the cliff and stopping a few feet from the edge, Luna carefully bent down in order to get a better glimpse of the canyon below. At the very bottom, a winding ribbon of silvery-blue – a river -- could be seen snaking its way among the rocks and earth.

"If I had to guess, I would say that drop is at least forty feet." She remarked as she stood, her voice somewhat tremulous due to nerves.

Antoine was close to virtually having a panic attack right on the spot. "Are they serious?! How is anyone supposed to be crossing this?!"

Walking up to the bridge, Seff placed his foot on the first plank, then experimentally rapped on one of the posts securing the bridge to the ground. "Seems sturdy enough. And all the boards are still in place. Look, Mobians had to have crossed this thing a whole bunch of times before, right? So how bad can it be?" In spite of his attempt to bolster their confidence, Antoine and Luna could sense Seff's agitation, though to his credit he was doing a good job of keeping his emotions under control.

Seff turned his gaze directly onto Antoine. "You can cross first, Antoine." He sounded unusually serious.

Antoine visibly winced. He laughed, a nervous, forced sound. "Y-you may have the honor of going first. You are being Lupe's nephew, after all. I should be following you."

Seff considered the bridge again. "Well, let's face it - you are the shortest one here, which also makes you the lightest person."

Realizing that he could not mount a worthwhile argument against Seff’s logic, Antoine sighed. not only were his words sensible, but Antoine did not wish to look like a coward in front of him and Luna either. Craven he might be in actuality, but the siblings generally seemed unaware of his notorious reputation, and he wanted to things to remain that way. Suddenly overtaken by a sense of shame for trying to get a twelve-year old to risk his life, Antoine shut his eyes. There were no other older Mobians around to set a good example for the siblings, so it fell on him to do so.

Antoine took several deep calming breaths just like Stormblaze had instructed him to whenever he felt anxious before addressing Seff and Luna. "I… I suppose I will be seeing the two of you on the other side."

Solemnly he marched right up to the bridge, trying to push past the uncomfortable sensation of his heart fluttering in his chest like a deranged butterfly. Steeling himself, he very gently and very slowly set his left foot down on the first plank. It held.

As Luna and Seff watched with bated breath, Antoine followed up with his other foot, then took three more steps. Encouraged by the fact that the boards seemed to be supporting his weight, he continued across at a slightly quicker pace (but only slightly -- he didn't dare try running) than before.

When he stepped on one of the planks that was towards the center of the structure, it produced a loud creak. Antoine stopped, eyes wide and fearful. Was this it for him? Was the bridge going to collapse with him on it? He didn't want to die!

But when a full minute had passed by and Antoine was still standing there, still internally panicking when nothing had happened, he swallowed hard and resumed his original course. The sooner he got off this deathtrap, the better.

He was relieved beyond words when he was finally able to step off the bridge and back onto solid ground. Leaning over, he clutched his chest, panting heavily. For a moment Antoine actually considered kissing the ground, but then remembered his lips would be touching dirt that other creatures had probably stepped all over and did the Source knew what else on. A grateful prayer of thanks would suffice for him. Hearing Luna and Seff's enthusiastic cheers and whoops from across the other side of the canyon, he managed a weak smile in their direction.

"Guess it's my turn then." Luna stated. Delicately, she took her first steps out onto the bridge, and succeeded in traversing it without any trouble.

Now that he was the only one who had yet to cross, Seff began the trek to join Luna and Antoine, moving briskly and keeping his eyes straight ahead. The boards creaked as though protesting the heavier weight being placed upon them, but held firm. As he advanced farther across the bridge, Seff's confidence increased, and he cheerfully shouted, "See guys? What'd I tell you? Nothing to it!"

With Luna at his side, Antoine watched Seff's progress hopefully. Maybe they had been overreacting and the bridge really was safe.

Just when Seff had only three more boards between him and the rest of the bridge, a resounding crack echoed through the air like a gunshot. A board had just snapped in two underneath his foot. Startled by the noise and believing he was about to fall, Seff's first instinct was to take a jump back. But once he did, two of the planks behind him broke as well.

For an instant, it appeared as if Seff was about to plummet to his death before Antoine and Luna’s terrified eyes. Reaching out, he managed to grab onto the portion of the bridge that was still intact. To their horror, Seff now dangled precariously off the edge. There was nothing between him and the canyon floor below. His spear was gone, having been lost in his scramble to save himself.

Luna started to rush to her brother’s aid, but reacting quickly, Antoine grabbed her by the arm, not wanting her to do anything that might further endanger Seff or herself. "Wait! You cannot be going out there!"

Luna looked back to stare at him. The hard look in her eyes as well as her expression were both clearly warning him to relinquish her arm or else. In spite of this however, Antoine refused to release his grip. "If you are going out there, then your weight and his weight together may make the bridge collapse!" He pointed out.

Luna appeared as if though she was going to protest, but as what Antoine said sank in, she realized he had a point. However, she was understandably still upset. "So what are we going to do then?"

"Well…" Antoine began, freeing Luna's arm. "If I am being light enough to walk out there without any trouble, then perhaps I can be doing it again."

"Even if you can go out on that thing, how are you supposed to pull him up? Seff's got at least a couple of pounds on you!"

Desperately, Antoine cast his gaze around. "What I wouldn't give for a rope or some sturdy vines right about now!" Since neither of those things were available however, what could be used as a substitute? His eyes landed on Luna's spear, which lay discarded on the ground nearby, and lingered there. 'It's worth a shot', he supposed, going over to pick it up. "You know how it is being said that in scary times Mobians suddenly find themselves with more strength then they are normally having? Well, maybe that is what will happen here."

Luna arched a dubious eyebrow at his rambling response, but Antoine was too distracted to pay it much mind. "Please be staying right here!" He instructed Luna.

The command appeared to aggravate her, but the girl did as she was told. Spear in hand, Antoine began to cautiously inching his way out onto the remaining piece of bridge. There, the wind seemed to pick up suddenly, whistling harshly in his ears. 'This is crazy…' He thought, forcing himself to keep his eyes on Seff. But he had to look down in order to make sure he didn't get too close to the edge, which he hated that. Every time he looked down, it was hard not to notice just how far they were from the ground.

"Do not be moving even a hair!" Antoine told Seff, who was staring up at him with huge eyes.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Seff yelled back.

Antoine didn't laugh at the wolf's attempt at humor or even acknowledge it, instead frowning slightly as he pondered their situation. Now that he was standing there, he wasn't really certain if he could actually summon the strength needed to pull Seff to safety. The image of himself trying to hoist Seff up, only to fail and cause the both of them to plunge into the canyon flashed through his mind. As soon as the macabre thought crossed his mind, Antoine vigorously shook his head.

Suddenly feeling the sensation of being gripped about the waist, Antoine turned his head to find himself looking back at Luna. Very sensibly, she didn't try to step out on the bridge with him. The distance between them wasn't that great though, so she was able to reach out and grab Antoine.

"Need some help?" Luna asked somewhat wryly. Not waiting for an answer, she went on. "We'll pull him up on the count of three, alright?"

Nodding his concurrence, Antoine then lowered the spear so that it was within Seff's reach. It hadn't taken Seff long to figure out what Antoine had in mind when he saw him standing up there with the spear, but the sheer riskiness of the coydog's idea made him reluctant to go along with it. The bridge was the only thing preventing him from falling to his death, and he wasn't very eager to let go. Not just that, but if his grip on the spear slipped, or if Antoine lost his balance, then the results weren't going to be pretty.

Seeing Seff's hesitation, Antoine called down to him, "It is being alright. Just take the spear, and we will pull you to safety!"

Gritting his teeth as he readied himself, Seff reached a hand towards for the spear and grasped it firmly. Antoine pulled with every ounce of strength he could muster, aided by Luna as well as Seff, who used his free hand to start pulling himself up.

Their combined strength was enough to haul Seff back onto the bridge. Seff didn't waste any time in getting himself back onto solid ground, where he sat down heavily, still maintaining his death-grip on the spear. Luna let go of Antoine and came over to where Seff was, wanting to make sure he wasn't hurt. Relieved they all had come out of this near- catastrophe in one piece, Antoine plunked himself down near the siblings.

For awhile, none of them said anything. Satisfied that Seff was indeed safe and sound, Luna plopped down on the grass beside him. The three were too preoccupied with trying to get their heart rates back under control to do anything else.

When Seff finally dared to breathe again, he raised his head to glance over at Antoine. "Thanks."

Too exhausted to respond, Antoine merely waved a hand at Seff, acknowledging his gratitude. This incident reminded him of a similar one that had happened to him before. He and Princess Sally had been traveling to an old prison that she believed her father had sent her a message from, and needed to cross a bridge in order to get there. When it started collapsing under their feet, he managed to grab his princess and sprint the rest of the way across just in time. Antoine decided right then and there that he was going to be swearing off bridges for a while.  
________________________________________

When Stormblaze awoke that day to discover Antoine missing, he hunted all around the camp for him, asking the wolves if they had seen him as he did. In every single instance he was told no. When he asked Lupe, she immediately became concerned. She swiftly organized a search party, and together Stormblaze and the Wolf Pack set out in pairs (with the exception of Diablo, who was working by himself since there weren't enough partners to go around) across the surrounding countryside.

At the onset of dusk, Lupe and Stormblaze were the first to arrive back at camp.

"Do you really believe he has left with Luna and Seff?" Lupe asked Stormblaze as they rested together outside her tipi, looking to the taller Mobian with worry.

Frustrated, Stormblaze blew harshly through his nostrils. "It would not surprise me one bit if he has. Truly he means neither offense nor harm to you and your pack, and I believe he greatly respects you, but he is also quite eager to prove to himself and would view this Spirit Quest as an opportunity to do so."

Over the next hour, the rest of the pack gradually came trickling back into the encampment, weary and out of breath. Everyone was troubled to discover that not one of them had been successful in locating Antoine. A panting Reynard and an equally winded Canus were the last to return.

"We came across Antoine's trail about a mile and a half away from here, heading west… I think he's gone after Seff and Luna." Reynard reported, much to the astonishment of his packmates and Stormblaze's great displeasure.

"I knew that half-breed was going to be more trouble than he was worth." Diablo grumbled in annoyance.

His remark earned him bared teeth flashed in his direction courtesy of Stormblaze. "You would do well to mind your tongue, _sir_." He warned Diablo.

Clenching his fists, Diablo glared right back at Stormblaze, tail raised high and ears perked forward in an aggressive stance. But Stormblaze didn't divert his stormy gray gaze from Diablo. Ever since he and Antoine had been there, Diablo had steadily tried his patience. The only reason Stormblaze hadn't told Diablo off when he’d snapped at Antoine the other night was because Lupe had been quick to get her packmate back in line.

Again, it was Lupe who reinstated peace. She moved in between Stormblaze and Diablo. "Please Diablo. Insults and fighting are not the solution here." She admonished, stern gaze pinning the other wolf in place. "The only thing we can do now is pray to the Great Wolf to keep Antoine safe."

Stormblaze relaxed – somewhat. He looked to the western horizon, where the sun was setting the sky aflame with vivid reddish-orange and deep pink hues as it began its daily exodus for the evening. 'Antoine, you are far too stubborn and impulsive for your own good.' He thought, new worries settling over him like a shroud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **French translations:**
> 
>  
> 
> Bête noire: "Black beast". Used to refer to something that is strongly disliked.


	7. Chapter 7

A panicked cry shattered the stillness of the mountain woodlands like a brick being hurled through a glass window. Startled, Luna and Seff spun around to see what had happened to Antoine.

"Antoine! Are you alright?"

Sheepishly, Antoine stared back before puffing his chest out and adopting an austere expression. "Er, oui! Yes! L-let us be continuing!" He answered before marching stiffly past the both of them. 

In actuality, what had happened was that he had allowed himself to be startled by a small forest-dwelling animal which had suddenly bounded across the trail in front of him, but not before briefly pausing to consider him before going on its way. How utterly embarrassing. “Lupe and Stormblaze would have never allowed themselves to be scared by something so mundane!" He thought.

Mystified, Seff glanced to Luna. She appeared equally baffled by Antoine's behavior, but catching Seff's look, only offered a shrug in response before moving on herself.

As the three trekked onwards, they found themselves having to pick their way down a rocky hillside. Stumbling over a rock in his path, Antoine bit back an exclamation and thought to himself how glad he would be once he, Luna, and Seff reached the Cave of Shadows and put all this harsh wilderness behind them… well, somewhat glad. He still hadn't forgotten the disturbing tales concerning the cave. He noted with a touch of envy that Luna and Seff seemed to be having an easier time of things then he was, navigating the slope with no difficulty. Even at their age the two possessed much of the same surefootedness that came so effortlessly to their adult counterparts.

Fortunately for Antoine, the ground evened out again when they made it to the base of the hill, and he could walk in comfort once more. However, a strange, high-pitched keening suddenly rent the air, making Antoine freeze. He had never heard anything like it before. Alarmed, he looked around, trying to determine exactly where the noise was originating from.

A cry that was similar to the first rang out, then stopped, followed by the sounds of scuffling and shifting soil. Antoine could tell the noises were coming from under the earth, but was having difficulty pinning down precisely where. Whatever it was that was responsible was either rapidly moving around, or there was more than one. Or – and a chill crept into his stomach like an unwanted but familiar houseguest at his next line of thought -- it could have been both those possibilities.

Seeing that Antoine had stopped again, Seff and Luna halted as well, curiously observing him.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

Antoine pointed to the earth at their feet. "There is being something under there!"

He only received blank stares. How could they not hear that?

Seff tilted his head to one side, listening for himself, and Luna followed suit. After a moment, her eyes met those of the coydog again. "Maybe you just need to take a break, Antoine."

Luna's not-so-subtle implication that he was merely hearing things outraged Antoine. He knew full well what he had heard. His earlier discussion with Stormblaze had convinced him that he was neither paranoid nor crazy after all when he heard things no one else could.

Just as he was about to protest, the ground around them seemed to crumble apart and two large, dark-colored forms erupted out of the soil, sending dirt, litter, and dust flying everywhere. Antoine and the siblings found themselves sandwiched in between two strange and hideous creatures. They appeared to be insects of a sort, only they stood upright on spiky segmented legs, reaching five feet in height, and had grotesque humanoid faces from which protruded large jagged mandibles. The beasts seemed to lack the sentience that set Mobians apart from the feral creatures roaming the wilderness, such as aervwingers and the herbivorous terrapods. But the manner in which the insects had suddenly appeared suggested an ambush, and the idea that creatures that big and frightening could come up with such a concept was an extremely unnerving thought.

Hungry jaws snapping audibly, the creatures advanced on the canines.

"What are those things?" Antoine yelped, backing away from the creatures.

"Sorraxes!" Seff shouted back in a matter-of-factly manner. Rolling under the heavy limb that the sorrax on his right swung at him, Seff came to his feet and leapt at the beast, brandishing a long tree branch he was using as a replacement for his lost spear. Rather than go weaponless, he had chosen to improvise. 

The youth paid for his bravado when, in the blink of an eye, the sorrax tunneled back underground, causing Seff to sail right over his target. As Seff tried to locate his enemy, the giant insect reappeared behind him and furiously slashed at him with its clawed forelegs. Seff jumped back to avoid being speared, nearly losing his balance as he did. He was forced to go on the defensive as the sorrax kept up its attack, using his spear to fend off its wicked claws when able to.

All Antoine saw was the other monster's slavering jaws coming straight at him. With a frightened yelp he ducked beneath the sorrax's snapping mandibles and darted between its legs. He never thought he would ever be happy to be short, but he was now. he saw Luna nearby fending off a third sorrax, keeping it at bay by savagely jabbing at it with her spear. If something happened to either her or Seff, then Antoine would never be able to forgive himself. The Wolf Pack probably wouldn't either. As the oldest Mobian there, he felt it was his duty to keep them safe.

Drawing his sabre, Antoine dashed over and sliced the sorrax that Luna was battling squarely across its carapace. It was like trying to cut stone. The blade didn't leave a scratch. The sorrax didn't even bother turning around to see what had struck it, more preoccupied with trying to get at Luna. Frustrated that his attack had failed, Antoine kicked at one of the beast's six legs, the one closest to him, as hard as he could. He was surprised to see the sorrax stumble as its leg buckled beneath it.

In that moment, Luna took the opportunity to strike. Lunging, she thrust her spear right at the sorrax. The creature backed off, the spear embedded in its chest. It's shrill cries of pain wrecked havoc on Antoine's hearing, and he wobbled around on unsteady legs, grimacing in pain as he attempted to cover his ears.

Managing to wrench her spear free, Luna made to gouge the sorrax a second time, but one of its wildly thrashing legs struck her and knocked her to the ground. Maddened with pain, the sorrax advanced on her, but found its path barred by a sabre-wielding Antoine. The sorrax lurched towards him, but Antoine rammed his sabre right into its open maw. The creature clawed at the blade protruding from its mouth before falling heavily on its side, kicking feebly at the air.

Antoine struggled to free his sabre, and was forced to set his foot on the sorrax's neck (or was that its' shoulder? It was hard to tell, since it didn't have much of either) in order to brace the carcass and finally remove his weapon. During the clash, splatters of something green and vile had spurted from the sorrax's wounds and right onto the front of Antoine's uniform and his sleeves, but he managed to ignore it for the time being. He turned to help a still shaken Luna up.

Seff wasn't having much luck fighting off the remaining sorraxes. To make matters worse, a fourth one had tunneled up from somewhere and joined in the attack. While Seff's stamina and energy was considerable due to both his age and species, he was starting to tire trying to keep one step ahead of the two predators, which were determined to make a meal out of him.

When Seff was sent sprawling by a heavy claw that was swung at his head, Antoine and Luna ran over to him. Before the sorrax could finish the job, together they grabbed Seff and pulled him away just in time.

"Retreat!" Antoine screamed. Hoping to outrun the insects, the trio fled. Furious at being robbed of their prey, the sorraxes hotly pursued them, still shrieking terribly all the while.

Something directly in their path made all three canines come to an immediate stop. Before them, the ground just fell away, forming a steep cliff overlooking a vale. The sight caused Antoine to sharply suck his breath in. He hazarded a glance over his shoulder. The sorraxes were coming closer. Soon they would be upon the three of them.

Luna, who had been intently studying the cliff side, pointed down at a crag, or narrow precipice jutting out of the cliff. "Down there!"

The idea was much too risky for Antoine's taste, but it was either climb down onto the crag or stay up there with the sorraxes. He descended first, then helped Luna and Seff climb down. There the three huddled, silently hoping and praying that that the crag would support their combined weight.

It wasn't a moment too soon, as the sorraxes were right on their tails. So intent on the chase were they that by the time they noticed the cliff edge, it was too late. unable to stop themselves in time, they barreled straight over the cliff. The sorraxes' bulky forms hurtled past the trio of Mobians and down towards the valley. their shrieks lingered in the air for some time.

Tired yet relieved, Antoine, Seff, and Luna climbed back up to the crown of the cliff. "Thank the Great Wolf those things are stupid." Seff stated, panting heavily.

Antoine didn't move. If one were to look into his eyes, then they would have seen what was commonly referred to as a “thousand yard stare”. At that moment, he didn't care about the bedraggled mess that had been made of his headfur, or the gore on his clothing, or the dust and bits of grass further dirtying his uniform and fur. His ears still rung slightly from the sorraxes’ horrible screams, and his hands and legs were trembling from the rush of adrenaline he had just experienced. At this point, Antoine almost expected some new sort of vicious beast of prey to make an appearance, or some other manner of calamity to strike them.

Wrapping his hands around his head, Antoine began ranting fearfully to himself. "This is dangerous! I – I have been making a big mistake! I need to get back to camp!"

His panicked outburst startled Luna and Seff out of their respite. They cast worried looks at one another before venturing over to Antoine’s side. They had witnessed him acting nervous and frightened before, but never in such a state of pure hysteria until now.

Taking hold of Antoine by his shoulders, Seff gently shook him. "Hey, c'mon Antoine. Everything's fine now. We don't have much farther to go."

"He's right." Luna added. "As long as we push ourselves and stick to the trail, we can make it to the Cave of Shadows. You said you wanted to do this, right?" Still breathing rather harshly, Antoine only nodded in response. "Well, you can't back out now. Look at how far we've come." Crossing her arms, Luna stared seriously at Antoine as she went on. "Not only that, but trying to go back to camp by yourself might be even more dangerous than finishing this. So you just might as well continue."

Antoine's eyes rapidly darted back and forth between Luna and Seff before he closed them and deeply and slowly breathed in a few times. Calmed by the ritual, he re-opened his eyes and addressed the siblings. "The both of you are being right. I am sorry for… losing my screws."

Seff began to laugh, and even Luna was looking amused. Seeing Antoine giving him the evil eye, Seff caught himself and stopped, though a grin still lingered on his muzzle. "Sorry. Were you trying to say ‘losing my marbles’?"

Antoine’s peeved expression softened ever so slightly. “Is that the correct way to say it?”

"Yeah. I think you might’ve mixed that one up with ‘having a screw loose’. See why we laughed?"

“I suppose you are right.” Antoine reluctantly admitted. “English is a strange language.”

“When we wolves want to call someone crazy, we say he has been aullando a la luna durante demasiado tiempo -- howling at the moon for too long.” Luna informed him. She was pleased that her speech had had the desired effect on Antoine.

“Hmm. I am personally thinking that I will just be using the word crazy from now on.”

“Why don’t we go ahead and get out of here?” Seff asked them. “The Sprit Quest is still on!”

"Oui. Lead the way." Antoine readily agreed. Admittedly Seff's use of the phrase "don't sweat it" left him mystified, but he perfectly understood the word "go". If danger happened to rear its ugly head again, he would not allow himself to panic. From what he could tell, his momentary loss of control didn't seem to have lowered his standing with the siblings, but he still needed to keep up a brave front. He would remain composed for their sakes as well as his own.  
________________________________________

 

Aside from some bruises, scratches, and cuts which had been earned from the mishap at the bridge and their clash with the sorraxes, Antoine was happy that he, Seff, and Luna hadn’t been seriously injured. He did find himself wishing he had bought Stormblaze along. His own knowledge of first aid was basic at best, and Stormblaze's healing powers would have been quite welcome. Antoine did know that abrasions and cuts needed to be cleaned and covered in order to prevent infection (the very thought of which made him shudder) from setting in. Clean cool water could be used to cleanse wounds. During their journey, they had chanced across a gulch that was filled with water, but had nothing on them to boil water in. In the end he could only hope that they would be alright since the three of them weren't going to be out there too long. Still, Antoine warned Seff and Luna to be careful to not get dirt in their injuries.

Now in the dying light of the evening sun, Antoine, Seff, and Luna found themselves standing outside the entrance to the Cave Of Shadows. Finally getting a look at the fabled cave for himself, Lupe's tales of Spirit Quest participants and travelers who had taken shelter there only to be driven insane by nightmarish visions raced like a certain speedy hedgehog to the forefront of Antoine's mind. Was the cave haunted? Maybe ghosts were the culprits behind the visions –  
'Stop that!' He mentally scolded himself.

"The two of you are not being scared by what Lupe was saying earlier, are you?" Antoine asked, wanting to assure himself that he wasn't the only one feeling nervous at the moment. He tried to disguise his apprehension with an offhanded air, but knew the siblings could probably pick up on it. Most Mobians were attuned to emotions, some better than others in fact.

Seff merely squared his jaw. "Not in a million years."

"Me neither," Luna shook her head. "Not as long as I have this." Tugging on the leather thong hanging around her neck, she pulled out a small copper pendant in the shape of an arrowhead that had been concealed inside the top of her leotard. She held the pendant up so Antoine could better see it. "See? It's a good luck charm. Before Seff and I joined the Wolf Pack, the pack shaman gave each of us our own charm. The arrow represents protection."

"Are they working?" Antoine asked, scrutinizing the charm. While he was religious, he wasn't above believing in things like lucky charms and curses.

"Well, we managed to get out of every jam we've gotten into on the way here, so I think they do. But you might've had something to do with that too." She smiled.

"Well, come on," Drawing himself up to his full height, Seff looked severely between Antoine and Luna. "What are we waiting for, an invitation?"

The three took their first cautious steps inside. As they did, the musty odor of mildew, age, and dampness filled their noses. It was easy to see how the cave had earned its name. The interior was incredibly dark, and the further in they went, the darker it became. Any natural light that managed to find its way in wound up being swallowed up by shadows. Previously, Luna had told Antoine that no one had ever managed to successfully map out the entirety of the cave, but its passageways were said to run at least forty miles, and were very easy to get lost in.

"Why don't we try to find some firewood before it gets too dark? I can start the fire." Luna offered, trying to sound cheerful. "This place will probably be cozier once it gets warmed up." Her voice echoed hollowly through the cavern and down into the tunnel system, sending a nervous chill up their spines.

It was a sound suggestion, so they set out. Antoine was going to announce that he would prepare dinner before recalling that they weren't supposed to eat or drink anything until completing the Spirit Quest. He supposed it was only fair the same went for him. However, he could hear his stomach complaining about the lack of food – again. And they were supposed to go an entire night on empty stomachs!

The trio's search turned up a few tree branches and what the siblings referred to as terrapod "chips" (though to Antoine's great disgust, they were obviously not actual snack chips), as well as dried brush which could be used for kindling. They also managed to find enough leaves, moss, and other such plant material to scrape together halfway decent pallets for themselves for the night.

Returning to the cave, they assembled the fuel in a pile by the wall, then settled down some ways away from the entrance. Luna didn't waste any time in getting a fire started.

"Well, tonight's gonna be extra boring." Seff grumbled from where he sat when Luna stepped back to satisfactorily regard her handiwork. "What are we gonna do until tomorrow morning, stare at the walls?"

"This isn't supposed to be fun. Aunt Lupe says while we're here, we are supposed to be discovering ourselves." Luna retorted, sounding as though she was reciting a passage out of a textbook.

"Whaaatever." Seff drawled, completely unimpressed.

Antoine was actually inclined to agree with Seff, but did not want to set the siblings against one another and so refrained from saying anything. Instead, he glanced around their surroundings, and just happened to notice what appeared to be a painting covering the wall. Going over for a better look, he tilted his head back slightly in order to see the three images better. They were ancient and fairly crude in design, but as Antoine studied them, he realized that each one was telling a story. In the first scene, a massive bird like an eagle or some other bird of prey soared beneath gray rain clouds. The next image featured several Mobians dressed in primitive clothing as well as feral animals dancing among green meadows and valleys which bore a bounty of fruits and other crops. The last one depicted what seemed to be the very same fields and hills, only they were bleak and devoid of any life.

"That big bird there? That's the Thunderbird." Antoine turned to see Seff walking over to stand next to him, having sighted the paintings himself. "She was a being with great power, and she used to watch over the land."

"Was there something happening to her?"

Seff shrugged. "She hasn't been seen in a long time. Some say the Skinwalker is responsible for her disappearance." Seeing Antoine's puzzled expression, he quickly explained, "The Skinwalker is an evil sorcerer who roams these parts. He can change into any kind of animal, and even Mobians like you or me. He uses his powers to terrorize anyone who sets foot onto his territory…. And he eats them!"

"Seff…" Luna didn't look up from her efforts at keeping the blaze going, but the tone of her voice made it quite evident that she didn't approve of their current topic of discussion.

"Aw come on! You're not scared of some dumb old story, are you?" Seff laughed. "The Skinwalker was probably killed or left here ages ago anyways."

"No." Luna shortly replied. "Just respectful. I don't think you remember what happened to the last person who laughed at the Skinwalker. They didn’t find anything of him but his sandals."

"Very funny, Lulu." Seff dryly retorted, though his smile was no longer present.

Antoine said nothing. The thought of yet another wicked sorcerer skulking about failed to make him feel any more comfortable then he already was – which wasn’t very much. He couldn't wait for morning to arrive. As usual, he found himself regretting an idea he had devised. One of the few that hadn't backfired in his face -yet- was leaving Knothole for his original quest). Going along on the Spirit Quest had sounded like a good idea when he initially thought of it. But not only did he fail to thoroughly think it through, but he had been too hasty in writing it off as being an easy feat to accomplish. The next time he considered doing anything like this, he was going to listen to Lupe and Stormblaze and stay put. Returning to his spot by the fire, Antoine made certain not to sit too closely to the mouth of the cave and kept near the wolves.

The trio decided to pass the time by chatting. Luna and Seff questioned Antoine about the other Knothole Freedom Fighters and what they were like, having heard them talked about before by the other Wolf Pack members. Antoine didn't really wish to discuss his teammates, largely because he feared being overshadowed by their exploits and abilities, as was par for the course. He tried shifting the siblings' focus onto other subjects, but it only made them more curious. At last he gave up and grudgingly obliged them, though of course he had to throw in his own five cents about everyone. At least the conversation helped take Antoine's mind off more frightening thoughts, like the Skinwalker and the cave's eerie atmosphere.

Eventually Luna excused herself, saying she was going to step out for some fresh air. Seff meanwhile, was displaying all the warning signs of drowsiness. He wasn't nearly as loquacious as he had been earlier in the evening. His eyelids were starting to droop, and sometimes his head would bob as he began to doze off before he caught himself and came to. Sleepiness was beginning to affect Antoine as well, and he unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a yawn. This wasn't the most desirable place to fall sleep, but they really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. At least the palettes were somewhat more comfortable than just lying on the cold hard floor.

However, Luna pulled him back from the gates of slumber land. "Antoine, do you think you could come out here for a moment?"

Deciding to be polite, Antoine went to see what she wanted. He found Luna standing outside the entrance, almost appearing entranced by the sight of the moon as she gazed up at the sky. That night, it was nearly full.

Hearing Antoine approach, Luna turned to him with a smile. "It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"

"It is," Antoine agreed. "Why are you still being awake?"

"Oh, well…" Luna started playing with her braid, which was draped over one shoulder. "I wanted to say thank you for everything you did for Seff and me today. I'm sorry I didn't believe you at first about the sorraxes."

"Think nothing of it." Antoine brightly replied. He absolutely loved receiving praise. It really lifted his spirits to know he had done something right for a change. The problem was that he typically didn't get much praise, and the few times it had come his way before he hadn't exactly reacted very humbly. Mentally, he reminded himself that he was not going to crow about what he had done. So what could he say that wouldn't be boastful?

"Helping others is being my job as both a squire and a Freedom Fighter. I would not be wanting to see you or Seff get hurt." There. He didn't think that sounded like bragging. It was all true, not to mention how he genuinely felt.

"That's so brave of you!" Luna gushed. Apparently embarrassed by her outburst, she went back to messing with her braid, winding its length around her fingers and looking somewhat shy as she did. "See, at first I wasn't sure about you coming with us, because technically you're breaking Pack Law by doing this, but I don't think Seff and I could've made it without help."

To Antoine's surprise, she embraced him. Managing to work a hand free, Antoine reached up and rather awkwardly patted her on the head. He never knew wolves could be so affectionate. Suddenly, his half-smile faltered completely. Something Luna just said had given him cause for alarm. "Wait – Pack Law? What is this being?"

Luna released her hold on him. "Well, there are certain rules that run wolf packs. That's Pack Law. One of these rules is that nobody else other then wolves who've been officially named as participants are supposed to go on Spirit Quests. It's really frowned upon."

Antoine gulped nervously. "Er, there is not being a serious penalty for this, is there?" He didn't know what sort of punishments the wolves used for rule-breakers, but regardless of who carried them out, punishments were never pleasant.

"Uh, I really don't know. I think that's up to the chief wolf." Seeing his fear, Luna flashed him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Seff and I will tell everybody what you did for us. I don't see why they'd punish you since you saved our lives."

Antoine breathed a sigh of relief. "Merci, demoiselle."

"Demoiselle?" Luna blinked a little at that before giggling girlishly. "What does that mean? It sounds fancy."

"It is just meaning young lady."

Luna stared at him. "You… you think I'm a lady?"

"Um, well, you are being a femme, so oui." Antoine answered, wondering why Luna was beginning to behave so peculiarly.

"It's just that when one of my packmates calls me a 'young lady', it means I've done something wrong. I mean, I don't get into trouble as much as Seff does, but everyone still thinks I'm just some know-it-all cub. Not you though." Intruding into Antoine’s personal space again (and causing him to edge away), she gazed adoringly at him.

Antoine was going to tell Luna that surely not all of the Wolf Pack members viewed her that way. He also wanted to ask if something was the matter, since she was doing nothing but staring at him, but their conversation was suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, what are you two doing out there? Kissin'?" That was Seff. He was standing in the cave's entranceway, mischievously grinning.

Antoine threw him a glance that had more than a little annoyance in it. "Please, Seff." While he knew Seff wasn't being serious, the idea of him pursuing someone who was still a cub was outrageous to say the least. As wretched as his luck in romance was, Antoine didn't think he'd ever be that desperate. He assumed Luna must have been similarly aggravated, because she was wearing a rather strange expression.

Turning back to Luna, Antoine extended an arm for her to take. "Shall we be retirementing?" He saw no point in lingering out there any longer. They all needed to get rest so they could wake up in morning and begin the trip back to camp. Hopefully tonight he would receive a glimpse of his future in his dreams, and Source willing, it'd be something ideal. Perhaps a good night's rest would also serve to cure Luna of her odd mood.

Luna still appeared vexed, but taking notice of Antoine's polite gesture, her expression brightened considerably. She eagerly accepted his arm and allowed him to lead her back inside.  
________________________________________

 

That was funny. Antoine would have sworn he had just heard his name being called. He lifted his head from where it lay on his pallet, trying to discern who it might be. It couldn't have been Luna or Seff -- he could see they both were sound asleep. No one else could be in there with them either -- they would have long since detected the presence of an intruder… wouldn't they?

Aside from the soft crackle of blazing firewood, Antoine heard nothing at that point. Everything seemed to have returned to normal.

'Perhaps it was just a really vivid dream.' He thought, lowering his head and closing his eyes.

"Antoine…"

That time, Antoine sat straight up. He had clearly heard that - somebody was calling his name. Furthermore, he thought he even recognized the speaker. But it couldn't have been her. Not there, not then…

And yet, he knew he had just heard Princess Sally calling to him. He stared off in the direction of the tunnel that led further into the cave. The voice had come from that way. The three of them hadn't ventured very far beyond the spot where they were camping for the night, and Seff and Luna weren’t sure what the tunnel led to. in spite of the fire's warmth, he shivered.

"Antoine…"

It would seem this matter required further investigation. Antoine glanced over at the sleeping brother and sister before climbing to his feet. Neither could he understand or begin to explain how Sally could have possibly ended up in the cave or why she even was there in the first place, but something in her voice implored him to go find her. If it was indeed his princess, then as her faithful bodyguard it was his duty to see that she was safe first and foremost, and then figure out everything else later.

Before leaving, he put on his sword belt, comforted by the familiar sensation and weight around his waist, and, taking a stout branch from the stack of unused firewood and thrusting the end into the flames, created a torch. Being part coyote, he was capable of seeing in the dark as though it were daylight. The torch was just for a bit of added protection.

"Antoine…"

Beckoned by the voice, Antoine left his companions behind without a word as he obeyed its siren song. Upon reaching a junction where the tunnel split into two separate passageways, he paused, trying to decide which he should take. At the same time he was carefully listening. Princess Sally had ceased calling since he had last heard her, but as though realizing that he was having trouble finding his way, her voice came echoing through the tunnel, easily distinguishable from the ambient sounds of dripping water and rushing breeze.

"Antoine…"

Realizing her voice was issuing from the passageway on the left-hand side, Antoine went in that direction. Eventually, he found himself standing alone in a large cavern. Feeling almost like he had just come out of a dream or a daze, he massaged his forehead. He wondered just how deep in the cave he was. If he was lost, would he ever be able to find his way out?

As Antoine took his surroundings in, he noticed that the ceiling of the subterrane soared high overhead, and a ledge ran along the length of the wall. Crevasses, the largest of which appeared to be big enough for a Mobian of Canus's height or slightly taller to enter, were randomly scattered along the wall behind the ledge. There was no telling where they led to. Towards the center of the cavern floor was a stalagmite standing three times as tall as Antoine did and which was reminiscent of the fang of some immense predatory beast in shape, unsettlingly enough. He saw no signs of Sally, or anyone else for that matter, and frowned in aggravation. In all likelihood he had probably just dreamt he had heard Sally simply because he missed her splendid presence. Why hadn't he just ignored the voice and tried to go back to sleep?

He was just turning to go when he stopped, realizing that he wasn't as alone in there as he had first thought. From out of the corner of his eye, Antoine thought he saw something skulking around that oddly-shaped rock. it could have been the firelight from his torch playing tricks on his vision. He really hoped it was.

"Is anyone being there?" He hesitantly called out, raising the torch higher as he stared hard in the direction of the stalagmite. Whoever or whatever it was, it seemed like they were trying to hide from him.

Finally, someone did step out from behind the stalagmite and into the open where Antoine could clearly see them. He gawked at the figure in utter disbelief. "Princess? What are you doing here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **French translations:**
> 
> Demoiselle: Young lady.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author's notes:** I'd like to warn readers ahead of time that this chapter becomes fairly violent. It's nothing too graphic (if you've ever read the Redwall series before, KE's fight scenes are similar in tone to the ones featured in those books), but I still wanted to drop a warning just in case some are sensitive about that sort of thing.

The figure was indeed Princess Sally, or at least someone bearing an uncanny resemblance to her, standing there and looking back at Antoine with big sapphire eyes and a sweet smile on her lovely face.

Antoine hung back, ears folded back against his head as he carefully watched Sally… or whoever it was. He never thought he would have ever been so disturbed to see her. His mind was screaming at him that this wasn't right at all. Sally was all the way back in Knothole. Even if she had set out to look for him, how would she have known to come to the Cave Of Shadows to find him? He struggled between getting out of there as fast as possible and going up to her and asking was he dreaming.

Sally solved Antoine's dilemma for him, coming up to him and warmly embracing him. "Antoine! I'm so happy to see you again. I have some great news."

"W-w-w-what kind of news?" Antoine's eyes were wide as he stared at the phantom-Sally in astonishment. When she hugged him just then, he noticed that she felt warm to the touch, and her two-toned brown fur was soft just like a real mammal's. She even smelled and sounded like Sally.

Sally's dazzling smile grew broader. "Yes. Sonic and I are going to be married!"

"Married?" Antoine practically screeched.

"You shouldn't be so surprised, you know. After all, we were made to be. The beautiful, talented princess and the dashing hero!" The chipmunk/red squirrel clasped her hands over her heart in an overly dramatic fashion, gazing dreamily off into space.

Antoine still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "B-but what about the war?"

She shrugged. "What about it? Like I said, we're perfect for each other. Not only are we best friends who closely work together most of the time, but I'm the rational responsible one, and he's hotheaded and stubborn. You know what they say about opposites attracting."

Antoine had heard others going on before about how perfect Sonic and Sally were for one another, and quite frankly was tired of it. "Just because the two of you are being amies who are going on many missions together does not mean that you are 'made to be'!" He retorted, anger causing his stammer to vanish. "Oui, you and he are opposites, but that is certainly not meaning you would be a good couple! There are other friends who are different from each other, and these differences are making them disagree at times. What if your differences cause the both of you to fight a lot? And you – and Sonic are only sixteen now. You are not really knowing what you are saying. You may want to marry somebody else when you are older!"

Crossing her arms, Sally fixed him with a scornful look. "Antoine, just give it up. I'm not interested in dating someone who runs away every time he hears a cricket chirp. You know, a loser." She spat out the word 'loser' as though it were a bad nut she had just bitten into.

Antoine just stared at her. Was this truly how she felt about him? He turned away from her, wanting to gather his thoughts. "You are right," He finally said with a sigh as he turned to face Sally once more. "I cannot be making you listen to moi. I will still serve you as your loyal guard, because that is being the task given to moi by ma mére and I have promised to uphold my duty. But I am tired of being the loser, I am tired of hearing about how perfect you and Sonic are for each other, and I am tired of doing all the fighting with Sonic. If there is still a chance for me to win your amour, then I will be true to myself to do so, like mademoiselle Lupe said. But if you really want Sonic, then that is fine. You can have him." While hurt by his princess' harsh words, Antoine found himself surprised by his own. He supposed his little impromptu speech had been floating around inside his head for some time now. He’d always wanted to be able to say all of that to Sally, but it took hearing some nasty things for him to finally come out and do so.

Antoine stalked back towards the entrance without another word or glance behind him, leaving the startled Sally standing there behind him. He didn't want to remain there another second. But out of nowhere a blue… something began zipping around Antoine in a circle. It was moving far too fast for him to clearly make out what it was, but there was something alarmingly familiar about it. 'Oh no…'

The blue figure skid effortlessly to a controlled stop. Casually leaning against the wall behind him, one white-gloved hand pressed against it to support himself, the other hand curled into a fist which was presently resting on his hip, Sonic stood before Antoine, eyeing him with a superior look. He looked about as substantial as Sally did.

Taken aback by the sudden entrance of his adversary, Antoine stumbled back. Just what on Mobius was going on? Was he delusional? Going insane? Was there some sort of fell magic at work here? Tightly shutting his eyes, Antoine began whispering to himself, "This is not real, this is not real…"

"Will you quit whining and shaking in your boots for once?" He heard Sonic irritably snap. "I mean, I know that's all you're good for, but try switchin' your routine up sometime. You're gettin' predictable."

Antoine opened his eyes. Sonic was still there, unfortunately.

"Speaking of which Ant, I gotta say that I don't even know why you still bother trying to compete with me. It's not like you'll ever win or anything. No matter how hard you try, you'll always be a loser." The speedster continued on in a conversational tone.

Feeling himself growing enraged, Antoine growled at Sonic, the fur on the nape of his neck bristling, "I am not caring what you think of moi, you foolish hedgehog! Stormblaze does not think I am being a loser, and neither is Lupe!" Oh Stormblaze. Antoine was missing him more than ever. His telempathic powers would have been useful in discerning whether Sally and Sonic were merely a product of Antoine's imagination or not.

"Wow, a grand total of two Mobians," Sonic rolled his dark brown eyes. "Big whoop. Now me on the other hand, everybody totally admires and loves me. And why not? I've got cool powers, I always save the day, and I have a hot girlfriend who's also a princess!" He grinned proudly.

"Let moi through." Antoine grumbled, purposefully striding towards the exit once more. He and Sonic had never actually come to blows before in spite of how heated their bickering became, but now he was incensed enough to shove the shorter boy aside if he didn't move.

Sonic didn't budge. Instead, he swiftly lashed out with his leg, the powerful kick catching Antoine in the stomach before he could react. Winded by the surprise attack, Antoine was driven to his knees. The torch fell from his hands, landing with a clatter on the ground. Clutching his stomach, he gazed up through pain-bleared eyes to find Sonic standing over him, slowly shaking his spiky head back and forth and clucking his tongue in mock disapproval.

"Your parents would be so disappointed to see how you turned out. Check it out." He clapped once.

Antoine was too stunned to even try and figure out why Sonic had just clapped. Hearing that barb about his parents was far worse than any kick. Sonic had said some pretty hurtful things to and about him before, but that was by far one of the worst.

As his vision cleared, Antoine saw something that shocked him so much he nearly choked. He was facing a spacious garden-like area enclosed within warm beige-colored walls made of stone. A myriad of flowers, shrubs, and trees of different species, all of which were obviously well cared for, grew along the walkways. At the center of the garden was a large beautiful, white fountain. It must have been the courtyard of a castle or a palace.

The familiarity of the scene nagged at him, and Antoine furrowed his brow as he struggled to remember where he had seen it before. Wait - he knew where he was. This was the Royal Gardens of Thorncliffe Palace before Robotnik overthrew the royal family!

Completely forgetting Sonic for the moment, Antoine turned to his left when his peripheral vision caught movement from that way. A figure he quickly recognized as his father Armand was standing on the lawn, watching as a pup who appeared to be around five years of age happily scampered around and waving a wooden practice sword, called a waster. If Antoine was stupefied to see his father, then he was even more astounded to realize that the pup, who was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, was none other than himself. Armand was clad in a cream cavalier shirt, a departure from all the pictures and paintings Antoine had seen of him in which he was wearing his ornate general's uniform festooned with the various medals and honors he had received for his service to the crown. In one hand the general clutched his own waster, a much larger version of the one his young son carried.

As the older Antoine and Sonic looked on, apparently unseen by those they were observing, Armand lifted Antoine's much younger self into the air. Both were laughing merrily.

"When I am a knight, I will have mon own streaking pasha! He will be fast and brave and able to jump over mountains!" The young Antoine animatedly proclaimed, waster still held in his little hand.

"Such a beast would indeed be a fine steed for you, my little knight, but you must remember that there is more to being a knight then just having your very own streaking pasha," The coyote replied, smiling indulgently at his son as he set him back down before having a seat on a nearby bench. Like Antoine, Armand was speaking English, though his heavy French accent was clearly discernible. "Do you remember the Old Code?"

Young Antoine became silent before finally answering, "A knight must be loyal, true, honorable… um… valley-ris… and… gracious to women?"

"Valorous," Armand gently corrected, ruffling Antoine's fluffy headfur. "But you have it. Sometimes your mother and I fear you’re too smart for your own good." He joked before growing solemn. Catching the abrupt change in Armand's demeanor, the young Antoine observed him inquisitively. "Remember the code, and keep it close to your heart. If you do this, then you will become one of the finest knights to ever serve our great kingdom."

The tender scene suddenly shifted as though someone had thrown a switch. The courtyard remained, but decidedly different-looking from before. The footpaths and walls were cracked and filthy, the plant life had all withered and died, and the fountain looked like it had been dried up for a long time. Even the sky had taken on a sickly yellow hue, with thick whitish-gray blankets of noxious smog blotting out the sun.

Armand was still present, but the young Antoine was nowhere in sight. Instead head been replaced with the graceful figure of an adult female Mobian who was standing by Armand's side. It was Antoine's mother, Belle. She and Armand wore flat expressions on their faces as they stared at the horizon. The color of their fur, their clothing, their eyes, everything about them was dull and muted. With a gasp of horror, Antoine realized he could actually see right through them as if they were ghosts.

"Mon dieu…" Lurching towards them, Antoine reached a hand out towards the specters.

His approach seemed to stir his parents, and they listlessly regarded him. They clearly recognized him, but neither said a single word. Armand looked away from him, focusing on the ground instead and setting his mouth in a tight, grim line, while Belle continued to gaze at Antoine, great sadness in her crystal blue eyes.

Finally Armand spoke, not even bothering to look at Antoine as he did. "Antoine… Have you so quickly forgotten what I taught you? How could you shame us the way you have? Not just us, but the family name."

"I... I…" Antoine wanted to respond to the accusation and defend himself, but this was all too much.

Belle started to speak, but no words ever left her mouth. The poodle shut her eyes. A single glistening tear rolled down her cheek. "S'il vous plaît, va disparaître." She finally managed to croak out, voice heavy with emotion. Turning away from Antoine, the couple began walking together towards an archway leading out of the courtyard and back to the castle, their figures becoming fainter and dimmer in the ugly light.

"Wait!" Antoine frantically cried out. "Je suis desole! I can do better!" He reached for his mother's shoulder, but his hand passed right through her as though she was nothing more than smoke. Too late he realized that he shouldn't have done that, because his parents both vanished into thin air, leaving Antoine standing there by himself in the ruined courtyard.

Hot tears started flowing freely down his face. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. He willed himself to stop, not wanting Sonic to witness him in such a state, but the tears wouldn't cease. He hadn't really cried like this since his first week of being in Knothole after having fleeing Robotnik with the other refugees. Yes, there had been times since then when he had either felt like crying or had started to, but never a moment where he had had a serious bout of sobbing. He’d strove to maintain a brave front for the rest of the youngsters, Rosie, and Cat, but the knowledge that he might never see his family or those who had been left behind in Mobotropolis alive again had become too much to bear, and one day he’d hid away behind the Ring Grotto and broke down there.

The haunting vision of Castle Acorn faded into nothingness, and Antoine was back in the chamber, though he was too distressed to take notice right then. When he had succeeded in getting a rein on his emotions and his crying subsided, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from behind him. "Why do you have to mess up everything you touch?" The speaker didn't bother to mask the contempt in his tone.

"Bonjour, Rotor." Antoine monotonously replied. He didn't make any effort to turn around and look, as he knew the purple walrus would somehow be right there waiting. He didn't know what had happened to Sonic or Sally, nor did he really care. He was drained, emotionally and physically. How much longer would this torture drag on? Would everyone he had ever known show up to berate and deride him? "Are you being here to tell me how I am not worthy to breathe the same air as Sonic?"

"Actually no, but now that you mention it, you're not worthy to breath the same air as Snively." Came the flippant response, the techie tapping his chin with a finger.

Once upon a time, Antoine had believed that Rotor was his friend. After all, at first glance, he came across as being exceptionally laidback and even-tempered. While always more reserved in nature then Antoine, the two had played together perfectly well when they had been puppy and calf respectively, but as they’d grown older, their relationship had changed for the worse. Rotor's maltreatment of Antoine tended to be more of the subtle, sneaky variety, as opposed to Sonic's open antagonism. he would do things like intentionally target Antoine with unpleasant things like ice-cold water balloons or paintballs during the Knothole Freedom Fighters' training exercises in which they had to try and evade "enemy gunfire" on an obstacle course being controlled by Rotor. He would also laugh and talk disparagingly about Antoine with Sonic and the others when he didn't think Antoine could hear him. Antoine wondered if Rotor had picked this up from Sonic, or had just come to despise him on his own.

Strolling around to stand before Antoine, Rotor sneered at him. "Really, I don't know what's more annoying about you -- the cowardice, the clumsiness, all your stupid stories about knights and being sworn to uphold this and that, or the nonstop bragging. Seriously, nobody cares. How can you even be a knight when you can't follow the rules of acting like one?"

Antoine stared tiredly at Rotor, too exhausted to defend himself by that point. Rotor was right, and so were his parents. He hadn't practiced what he had been taught. He didn't deserve knighthood. He couldn't fight and needed to be rescued by everybody else, even after leaving Knothole on his quest. He would only be a hindrance to Stormblaze, and he would be better off without Antoine around.

"I think a change of scenery would be nice, don't you?" Rotor asked in a falsely pleasant voice. Not bothering to wait for a reply, he snapped his fingers.

Once again, Antoine found himself and his latest tormentor inexplicably whisked away to a new setting. Right away the coydog identified his and Rotor's new location as Knothole Village. The pink-streaked faint blue sky above them indicated that it was probably just a little after daybreak.

Getting Antoine's attention, Rotor pointed over to an area that was in close proximity to the huts where most of the Knotholers lived. It was the place where the Freedom Fighters would regularly hold their meetings.

The pair saw that Sally, Sonic, Bunnie, and another Rotor were there, either settled on logs or the grass as a second Antoine, clearly much older than what he had been in the previous vision, possibly fifteen years old, faced the four. standing tall and proud, he was dressed in Armand's uniform, and. His arms were folded behind his back, and on his face was an expression of utmost seriousness. Behind him was a chalkboard covered in neat handwriting that had been set up on a stand for everybody to see. Antoine realized that his double was in the process of addressing the others, and strained his ears to hear himself talk.

"… So, as the bravest and most wisest among you, I have taken the liberty of making a schedule that we will be following to the 'z'." The other Antoine grandly announced as he began deliberately marching back and forth in front of the chalkboard. "Firstly and foreman, we will be waking up at the crackerjack of dawn to be training. Of course, due to mon expertise as a warrior, I will personally be handling all training."

Sonic clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to hide his snickering and doing a poor job of it, while Sally and Bunnie both looked drowsy and like they would much rather be back in their respective beds right then. Rotor was rolling his eyes and glancing up at the sky every couple of minutes. The fifteen-year old Antoine was completely oblivious to their disinterest in his speech, now droning on about training drills and such.

Antoine grimaced as he viewed the scene. He remembered that day. The Freedom Fighters had finally been granted permission to carry out missions without adult supervision. The previous night, Antoine had requested that everyone awaken at sunrise so he could have the honor of drilling them, and had created an extensive schedule as well as a list of potential mission plans and training exercises for them. His little lecture… hadn't gone well. Watching himself behave like that was utterly embarrassing. He had never realized that the other Freedom Fighters (well, aside from Sonic) found the facts, stories, and ideas he tried sharing with them to be tedious to listen to, or how utterly ridiculous and pretentious he sounded while relating them. The others may not have treated him right, but he hadn't exactly been a pleasure to be around either.

"I… I was only wishing to show that I could be useful and smart too, like you and the princess are," Antoine quietly admitted to Rotor, staring down at his boots. "I was thinking that everyone might be liking moi better if I did. But…"

Rotor's light blue eyes narrowed. "Say it."

"… I was making it too far."

Rotor smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, heaving a loud sigh of exasperation. "It's 'taking it too far', genius. Jeez, you can't even talk properly! Go back to Mercia. we all think you're too stupid to be taught English."

"Shut up." Antoine's voice barely rose above a whisper.

Rotor glanced over at him."Come again?"

Tightly clenching his hands into fists, Antoine stormed straight up to the slightly taller Mobian. His blue eyes had grown dark with fury. "I truly am wanting to be a better person, but are any of you ever trying to help moi? Non! All you do is sit around laughing at moi and treating moi like a pup! I am seventeen years old!" He was roaring in Rotor's face now, roughly prodding the flabbergasted pinniped in the chest with a finger. "I am being foolish and cowardly and a lot of other bad things, but even I am still knowing that that is not how a team is supposed to be working! Teammates help and watch out for each other! Not one of you has ever done that for moi! You are all being… fakes! I do not need the approval of any of you!"

Rotor actually backed away, hands out in front of him. Antoine's outburst seemed to have genuinely taken him off guard. "Well, if that's how you feel…"

Knothole was no more. he had been returned to the Cave of Shadows. exhausted, Antoine sank to his hands and knees, completely ignoring Rotor. He didn't think he could take this any longer. He would rather be struck blind before being subjected to another terrible vision. At the same time however, he realized that the things he witnessed had finally opened his eyes to the truth.

The other Freedom Fighters' typically apathetic attitudes towards him were what hurt more than anything else. While he could certainly give Sally credit for often scolding Sonic whenever he started in on Antoine, not once had she ever attempted to help Antoine learn how to defend himself or overcome his fears so that he could better serve her and the rest of the team. Yet she was the one who was always lecturing everybody else about teamwork. Antoine also doubted that she stopped Sonic out of any true affection or pity for him. Rather, it seemed she just felt that it was her duty to break up any squabbles among the group. Then there were all those times where she would ignore or grow irate with him when all he wanted to do was show her how much he thought of her. It wasn't like he had ever tried to do anything inappropriate with her – he would never dream of behaving in such a manner towards a lady. Sally was supposedly so caring and understanding, but what kind of a leader could treat another person so inconsiderately and think nothing of it? How could he have ever loved someone like that? How on Mobius could he have been so deluded? He wanted someone who would treat him with the same genuine respect and love he would shower them with.

Rotor had never attempted to impart any of his knowledge onto Antoine in order to broaden his skills, having no patience with trying to teach him anything. Sonic constantly complained about Antoine's lack of courage and how sheltered he was, yet had barely ever bothered to lift a finger to aid him in those areas. And on the rare occasion when Sonic actually had tried to train him, like Rotor, he had quickly lost his temper and started screaming insults at Antoine and telling him he would never be a real Freedom Fighter.

They all had the tendency to talk down to him as though he was either a pup or mentally deficient. If they really found his manner of speech so grating, then why had none of them ever made an effort to help him improve his English? Why must he learn their language but none of them had to learn French? Why was it that even when he actually succeeded in doing something right or helpful for a change, they either absolutely refused to acknowledge it or gave the credit to someone else instead? He had always been devoted to them and their unified goal of deposing Robotnik, but none of them would ever care about him in return.

Antoine didn't want to believe that sweet, true-hearted Bunnie loathed him like the other Freedom Fighters did. After all, she spoke to him like a friend, and almost always had a cheery greeting for him whenever they ran into each other. but he knew he had annoyed even her on a couple of occasions. Was her friendship with Sally and the rest of the team stronger, and she never had really considered him that much of a friend to begin with, but just someone she had to be nice to? Did she secretly hate him for failing to save her from the roboticizer in time? Had he been misleading himself about their friendship? Even worse, his attitude had blinded him to his own faults and had served to steadily widen the gap between him and the others over the years.

Antoine's head was beginning to really ache. He didn't want to return to Knothole ever again. As he sat there immobile, staring at the floor and wishing for a bottomless pit to open up and swallow him, his eyes happened to drift up to the wall in front of him. The light cast by his abandoned but still burning torch threw Rotor's shadow onto the wall. As Antoine watched, the familiar bulky, stubby-legged shape seemed to strangely stretch and elongate right before his eyes, becoming taller and sleeker. Realizing that what he was viewing wasn't a mere trick of the light, Antoine spun around to find a bizarre-looking creature leering at him.

At first glance, the being resembled a large Mobian wolf, with two-toned fur that came in separate shades of medium and light brown covering its frame. However, its arms were grotesquely long, and ended in long, black, curved claws which tipped the long fingers on his hands. A necklace made from the teeth of some unfortunate beast adorned his neck. Some sort of deep gray animal pelt was draped around the broad shoulders and covered his back, with the forearms wrapped around his neck and the lifeless head resting atop the wolf's own, the yellow glass eyes catching the torchlight and twinkling in a decidedly unsettling way. Sally, Sonic, and Rotor seemed to have vanished altogether.

Antoine warily backed away from the stranger."Where are they? Who – what are you?"

"Fool, they were never here in the first place," The freakish wolf harshly growled in a strange voice that all at once sounded like a mausoleum being opened and the death rattle of some dying creature. "It was only I. I am known in these parts as the Skinwalker. I must thank you for the delicious meal of sorrow and fear. I have not feasted so well in such a long time." Bringing his hands together, the Skinwalker performed a mocking bow towards Antoine.

Antoine gasped. "You were creating all of that?"

The Skinwalker grinned broadly, his toothy smile stretching from ear to ear. The sight of his long yellowed fangs caused Antoine to gulp. "With your help. I merely tapped into your mind and drew upon what I found there. It's been too long since I last had an opportunity to feast on canine," Dropping his head slightly, he theatrically sighed. "The wolves are smarter and too hard to catch these days. But you'll do quite nicely. Don't worry, you won't need to be sad about not having any friends. In fact, you won't have to worry about anything ever again..."

The Skinwalker lunged at him, claws outstretched and ready to make a quick kill, but Antoine's hand was already on the hilt of his sabre. With one swift motion he drew the blade and slashed at the sorcerer.

The Skinwalker recoiled with a pained roar, clutching his bleeding right arm. He glared nastily at Antoine. "Oh, so now you decide you want to act brave."

Antoine's only response to his barb was a decidedly un-Antoine-like growl as he pointed his sabre at the Skinwalker. The revelation that this monstrosity had invaded his mind and put him through all of that just so he could use Antoine like a battery or something was beyond vile. He felt livid enough to kill this thing.

The Skinwalker methodically circled Antoine before rushing in for another attack. Antoine lashed out at him, hoping and intending to run him through, but that time the Skinwalker was agile enough to dance out of the sword's path. He was laughing, much to Antoine's mounting fury. He didn't realize that the Skinwalker was just toying with him, feinting as he tried to find an opening to launch a real attack, until it was too late.

Slipping past Antoine's defenses, the Skinwalker took a swing at his head with one massive hand. Antoine went sailing across the grotto to crash into the wall and fall to the ground. He struggled to rise, but pain racked his whole body. His head felt the worst – it was like he had been struck by a sledgehammer. He had never been hit that hard before in his life, and was seeing stars.

Antoine's sabre had been knocked out of his grasp and was lying well out of his reach. Before he could retrieve it though, the Skinwalker was looming over him.

"On your feet, pup!" He snarled, roughly grabbing Antoine by his neck and hoisting him off the floor so that he was looking him squarely in the face.

Antoine clawed and beat at the hand dangling him in the air, but the Skinwalker's grip was like a vice. Finally, he did the only other thing that he could think of: he bit down on the Skinwalker's hand as hard as he could. Antoine may not have boasted the impressive fangs of a wolf like Lupe or Canus, but his teeth were still plenty sharp.

Shrieking in rage and pain, the monstrous wolf struggled to dislodge Antoine, but he refused to relinquish his grip on the Skinwalker's vile-tasting hand. Finally, the sickening sound of flesh and fur being torn could be heard as the Skinwalker managed to toss his smaller foe away.

That time, Antoine was fortunate enough to only go skidding across the cold ground. Stunned, he could only lay where he was. As hard as the floor of the grotto was, he didn't think he could take being slammed into the wall a second time.

"Antoine!"

Antoine painfully sat up to see Luna and Seff race into the cavern, armed with their spears. Upon seeing the Skinwalker, they stopped, paralyzed with fright.

The Skinwalker's pale yellow eyes gleamed diabolically as his gaze traveled from Antoine to the frightened siblings and then back to Antoine again. "After I kill you, I think I'll play with your little friends. How does that strike you?" He cackled.

'No!' Antoine’s mind screamed. He would not allow this monster to lay one claw on Luna and Seff – not if he could help it!

As the Skinwalker bolted towards him in a startling burst of speed, Antoine's eyes darted desperately around the grotto. He hoped to find a rock or something, anything to defend himself with. His eyes landed on his trusty sabre lying only a few feet away. Darting towards it, he grabbed the blade and held it out in front of him with both hands. Right when the Skinwalker was nearly on top of him, he stabbed upwards with all his might.

The momentum of the Skinwalker's charge drove the sabre deep into his abdomen. Surprised, he could only stare at Antoine before limply slumping forward, stone silent. Unable to support the Skinwalker's much heavier weight, Antoine hastily maneuvered himself out from under him, allowing the body to fall to the ground. Breathing heavily, Antoine couldn't tear his eyes away from the dead sorcerer. "Is… is he being dead?"

Luna and Seff hadn't yet moved, both still very much petrified by what they had just witnessed. After a moment, Luna managed to recover her wits sufficiently enough to reply, "I-I think so." She stared at the Skinwalker just to make certain, but didn't dare step any closer to his corpse to ascertain if she was correct or not.

As they continued staring at the Skinwalker, something peculiar began happening. The corpse actually began to crumble away before their shocked eyes, beginning with the Skinwalker's feet and head. Soon, there was nothing left but a pile of grayish-brown dust.

In the aftermath of that incredibly odd occurrence, it felt as though some horrible curse had been lifted and everyone could finally move again. Luna and Seff hurried over to Antoine. He was dirty from being flung around the grotto like a ragdoll, the collar of his uniform had been ripped, and he could already feel large, angry bruises forming underneath his fur. He had also suffered several bad cuts, scratches, and scrapes, mainly on his legs and hands. His nose pad was throbbing painfully as the result of an abrasion he’d received from being thrown to the ground.

Before, Antoine would have been bemoaning his "poor beautiful nose" and whether or not his looks were permanently ruined. in retrospect though, none of those things seemed important anymore. In spite of the pain he was in, he even had to laugh a little at the thought of fretting over a scratch so much.

Watching him, Luna and Seff frowned, bewildered by his behavior. Leaning over to his sister, Seff whispered, "I think he's out of his mind again."

His comment didn't escape Antoine's ears. "No I am not." He calmly replied, though he chose not to share the reason behind his amusement. They probably wouldn't have found it as funny as he did. Suddenly becoming conscious of a revolting taste in his mouth, he wrinkled his muzzle in revulsion and spat furiously, trying to rid his mouth of the taste of the Skinwalker's blood and fur.

Satisfied that Antoine didn't appear to be seriously injured, Seff gave him a lopsided grin. "Wow… You look terrible."

Shakily, Antoine returned his grin before growing serious. "Are the two of you being alright?"

"We're fine," Luna affirmed. "We heard strange noises and your voice coming down through the tunnels. When we saw you were gone, we tracked you." Without any warning, she practically threw herself at Antoine and embraced him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay! You wouldn't believe how scared I was! I actually thought you were --"

Antoine grimaced. “Ouch! Please be careful, demoiselle!"

"Sorry!" Releasing her hold on him, Luna stepped away, embarrassed by her outburst and feeling guilt for having hurt Antoine even though it was entirely unintentional. "Um… Why don't we --"

She stopped mid-sentence, interrupted by what sounded like cracking ice or stone to their ears. The noise caused the three to give a start and look around in dread, expecting to see another horror or even the Skinwalker himself somehow returned from the dead.

As it turned out though, the cracking noise was emanating from the strange-looking boulder which stood in the center of the chamber. It actually appeared to be in the process of breaking apart. Dazzling rays of golden light seeped out of the spidery fractures that were rapidly forming along the boulder’s rough surface.

Antoine, Luna, and Seff shied away from the strange sight, prepared to flee if necessary. The massive rock abruptly exploded in a flare of gold light. Pieces of stone flew all over the place, causing the three to shield their eyes so as to protect them from both the debris and the intense light.

When the dust had settled and the light dimmed into nothingness, their ears suddenly picked up the sound of beating wings overhead. looking up, they beheld the startling sight of a feral bird that strongly resembled an osprey or another similar species of raptor in appearance flapping its great wings in order to remain aloft in the air. Its wing beats were powerful enough to stir up a small breeze.

The bird hovered a moment longer before finally landing. It smoothly swiveled its sleek head to and fro, studying the two youths and then Antoine with fierce golden eyes. Right away it was clear this was no ordinary avian. It stood at least as tall as Tails did, if not a few inches taller, and was covered in deep azure plumage, save for jagged gray stripes streaking outwards from the corners of its eyes, white flashes along the edges of its wings, and white-tipped tail feathers.

"Greetings. I am known as the Thunderbird," The bird said in a voice that was strong, clear, and feminine. Luna and Seff could only gawk as the Thunderbird then went onto address a surprised Antoine directly. "I thank you for freeing me from the Skinwalker's spell."

"Spell?" Antoine echoed.

"Long ago, I was imprisoned here by the Skinwalker's foul magic. Even with all my power I was unable to escape, and over time began to weaken. When you killed him, his power was broken and I was finally able to free myself. For your help, I now must grant you a boon."

Antoine didn't answer right away. He couldn't even begin to settle on what he should request of the Thunderbird. A hundred ideas ran through his mind all at once. He recalled one legend about a squire who freed a phoenix who had been captured by a minotaur, and how the magical bird had rewarded the youth by leading him to a cave filled with all manner of treasure. Antoine shook his head. No, he knew he didn't want treasure or anything like that.

Apparently however, he didn't have to say anything. The Thunderbird intently sized him up before nodding to herself as though confirming something. "I see you seek to become a great warrior, so I will grant you the power needed to succeed in your quest."

Unfolding one wing slightly, the bird lowered her head, and using her beak, swiftly plucked a long feather from the appendage. Feather gripped in her beak, she approached Antoine and thrust her head out at him, indicating that he should take the feather.

Antoine accepted the offering, wondering what he was supposed to do with a feather. As he studied it, the feather dispersed into a multitude of tiny, ethereal silver beads. Before his amazed eyes, the beads actually dissolved in his hand and were absorbed into his fur and then flesh. rather than be alarmed by this as he previously would have been, he studied himself in pure wonderment. Thin veins of silver light could be seen flowing through his hands and down into his arms before they returned to their mundane appearance.

Hearing the sounds of shuffling, Antoine's attention was drawn back to the Thunderbird. She was watching him closely. "You must make certain to train extensively in the use of your new abilities. Having power and failing to understand how to properly wield it can be hazardous for yourself as well as others.” She warned. “Learn how to control your power -- or it may end up controlling you."

The Thunderbird's gaze swept the grotto a final time before she bowed her head to the three canines. "Farewell." Closing her eyes, the Thunderbird stilled. After several minutes, the great bird's form was gone. a gust of wind now wildly whipped its way through the cavern. It blew away the Skinwalker's remains, dispersing the dust before winding around Antoine, Luna, and Seff, ruffling their fur and clothing in a final departing gesture before leaving for good. The fearsome cry of a raptor echoed in her wake.

All was silent until Seff spoke up. "Well I don't know about anybody else, but I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep after all that."

Luna looked to Antoine, curiosity in her eyes. "How do you feel?"

Antoine was still staring off in the direction the Thunderbird had gone, a dazed look etched on his face. He felt like he was dreaming, standing outside his own body and watching these strange, magical events transpire. Luna's voice bought him back to the present, and he contemplated her question. Slowly he flexed his fingers. Aside from a mild tingling in his extremities, he actually felt fine. Odd, considering he had just been in a life-and-death struggle against a shapeshifting wizard. His injuries didn't even hurt anymore. He wondered exactly what sort of powers he was supposed to possess now and when they would make their presence known. He knew he should have asked the Thunderbird, but he had been so stupefied the question hadn't even crossed his mind until he’d just thought about.

On second thought… he felt better than fine. It wasn't quite the same feeling he had had when Stormblaze healed him. For one thing, he still retained his injuries, but the pain was dulled to such an extent that it was like they were no longer even there. He also felt significantly more alert and energetic, like he had just finished consuming a great deal of caffeine.

"Like…" Antoine tried to think of an English expression that fit his situation.

Baffled, Luna and Seff glanced at one another, then back at Antoine. "A million trucks."

"Uh… is that good?" Seff asked, obviously not understanding what Antoine meant.

"Better than good!"Antoine laughed ecstatically, rushing over to dance with the siblings. They couldn't help laughing along as they shared in his enthusiasm.

Suddenly ceasing his dancing and causing the others to do likewise, Seff adopted that same serious look Antoine had seen earlier on his face when they were about to cross the bridge. he still wasn't used to seeing Seff like that. "Since you saved our lives again, that means Luna and me are officially in your debt until we repay it somehow."

“He’s right.” Luna chimed in. “If you ever you need help or somebody to fight by your side, you can count on us!"

"Oh, I do not…" Antoine was about to say that they didn't need to feel like they owed him something, but both wore such intense, sober looks on their faces that he just didn't have the heart to. He doubted the siblings would have taken no for an answer anyways. "Merci, mon amis.”

"Come on. Let’s go get you patched up." Luna offered.

Smiling, Antoine allowed Seff and Luna to help him walk back to their campsite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's notes:** I fear this chapter may have offended fans of Sonic, Sally, and Rotor, so in just case it has, I would like to apologize. My intentions are not to bash them, as I despise character bashing. I will certainly not deny that Rotor, Sally, and Sonic all do have their good points. But while Antoine could be annoying to deal with at times, I also believe that most of the other Freedom Fighters didn't exactly treat him well much of the time (Sonic especially) or even attempted to help him with his problems. Sorry guys, but two wrongs don't make a right.
> 
> Secondly, a good team should be willing to support each and every member, not just the ones with cool powers or their best friends or whatever. How could Sally and co. expect Antoine to improve as both a Freedom Fighter and a person if their solution was to just ignore/or mistreat him? Those are the major messages that I really wanted to get across to readers with this chapter.
> 
> On a final note, Antoine's rebuttal to 'Sally' during their discussion about her and Sonic being made for each other wasn't meant as a personal attack on the Sonic/Sally pairing or those who like it, so please don't take it as such. So why did I choose to have Antoine say all of that to her? Well, let's be honest here: if there was somebody you were crushing on and people kept on talking about how she or he and another person made such a good couple, you'd probably get a little tired of hearing that too.
> 
>   **Translations:**
> 
> Amour: Love.
> 
> Ma mère: My mother.
> 
> S'il vous plaît, va disparaître: Please, just go away.


	9. Chapter 9

The Wolf Pack’s camp was coming alive with activity. That day there was to be a feast in honor of Luna and Seff and their respectable new statuses among the pack. Canus was already beginning preparations for the food and had wrangled Reynard into assisting him. Had Lupe's husband Lobo, the elders, and the cubs who comprised the rest of the pack been present, then the feast would have been a more elaborate and boisterous affair, with double the revelers and double the food. Still though, the Wolf Pack was determined to make the most of the situation and give their newest warriors the best celebration ever.

Placed in charge of bringing back a kill for the feast by Lupe, Leeta and Lyco were making preparations for the hunt. The pair sat together outside their tipis, making sure their weaponry was in top-notch condition. Leeta was examining the blade of a large hunting knife for any nicks or other imperfections. In addition to the lance, she also favored knives, a number of which she usually carried around on her person in the off-chance she would either need to fight or hunt.

"Do you think Antoine's keeping an eye on those cubs?" She asked Lyco, who was busy sharpening one of her own hunting knives.

Lyco’s answer was a none-too-ladylike snort. "They're probably the ones having to keep an eye on him."

Leeta nodded. "He's crazy. There's no doubt about it now."

"Well the way Edward explained it, Antoine ran off with them because he wants other Mobians to start taking him more seriously, and thought the Spirit Quest would give him that chance. Truthfully, I feel sorry for him. Poor thing can't fight and jumps at shadows. Can you imagine what that must be like, living like that day in and day out?" Lyco gave a shake of her braided head. Had Antoine been born a wolf, then he probably would’ve been even more of a social outcast then he already was. Lupine culture extolled strength and daring, after all.

When they were satisfied with the condition of their weapons, the sisters took their leave, continuing to discuss the Antoine situation all the while.

"He just needs to find some sort of role where he doesn't have to do any fighting at all." Lyco was saying.

"I feel bad Antoine lives like that too, but he needs to learn that he can't just take off whenever the mood strikes him. If we had done something that reckless when we were his age, Lupe and our parents would've had our hides."

Lyco couldn't disagree with that. "Well, when he drags his tail back here, he's going to learn that lesson real quick." Everyone knew how upset Lupe was over the whole incident, as was Edward. The twins didn't know what was going to happen to Antoine when he returned, but figured it wasn't going to be pretty.

They hadn't gotten far from camp when the beating of wings and alarmed tweets captured the twins’ attention. Something or someone had just startled a flock of aervwingers somewhere up ahead. Immediately the girls stopped moving and went silent, trying to discern the source of the disturbance. It could have been one of the various predators that lived in the region. 

Lyco, whose keen eyesight was renowned among the wolves, tried to see what it was, and was the first to spot them.

"Look!" Grabbing Leeta’s arm, Lyco pointed at something further down the trail.

Leeta strained to see for herself. After a few seconds, her crystal blue eyes picked out the forms of Luna, Seff, and Antoine approaching.

Upon sighting the older wolves, Luna let out a squeal of joy and raced forward to embrace them, a gesture Leeta and Lyco happily returned. Antoine and Seff maintained their normal paces, neither wanting to appear as emotional as Luna was. When they finally did catch up with the females, Seff was still putting on a show of being cool and stoic as Leeta and Lyco went on to shower him with attention. But it was apparent to anyone watching that he was basking in all the affection and was as happy to be reunited with them as Luna was.

Leeta was beaming brightly as she looked between Seff and Luna. "You two did it! We're so proud of you!" From the time when Luna and Seff had joined the Wolf Pack, she and Lyco had grown exceptionally fond of the cubs and were glad they’d finally been able to experience such an important milestone in their lives. Leeta and Lyco were well-aware of the fact that Luna and Seff desired to take on more active roles within the pack.

As he looked on at the scene, Antoine was unable to keep a smile off his own face. It felt good to see his friends so happy. Even though he wasn't as fearful of the Wolf Pack as he previously had been, he didn't try to involve himself in their reunion. He wasn't a member of the pack, and felt like he would have been interrupting if he did try joining in. So he was very much taken off-guard when Lyco approached and gave him a hug of all things.

"We're glad you're alright too." She told him, ending the embrace.

Antoine felt his face and ears heat up. He really wanted to thank Lyco for actually being concerned about him, but his brain was stalling on him like a malfunctioning airplane engine. The only thing he was able to do was chuckle nervously and rake his fingers through his headfur, looking anywhere but at Lyco.

Without any warning, Lyco's warm expression shifted into a fierce scowl, and she punched Antoine right in the arm, snapping him out of his bout of embarrassed shyness.

"Ouch!" He rubbed the area where he had been struck. It hadn't really hurt (not too much), but like the hug, he hadn't been expecting it either.

"What in the name of Fenrir did you think you were doing, running off like that?" Lyco angrily shouted at him.

Leeta looked about as incensed as Lyco was. "He wasn't thinking! Just like a male!"

"Did you ever stop to think how worried we’d all be?" Lyco continued to rant. "Not to mention the fact that you broke Pack Law!"

Antoine hastily backed away just in case either girl wanted to take another swing at him, defensively holding his hands out. He found himself thinking that an irate Leeta and Lyco were scarier than a dozen Diablos. "Mademoiselles, please! I-I was not meaning any harm!"

By that time, the commotion had drawn the attention of Canus, Reynard, and Diablo. They hurried over just in time to see Luna protectively place herself between Antoine and the twins. "Wait! Don't be mad at him!"

"Yeah!" Seff chimed in, although he allowed Luna to stand in front of him and Antoine. He’d seen Leeta and Lyco mad before and didn't want to be near them while they were in such a state. "He saved us from the Skinwalker!"

Those six words caused Leeta and Lyco's anger to evaporate entirely. The twins as well as Canus, Reynard, and Diablo, who were all similarly flabbergasted, simultaneously turned to Antoine.

"You saved them?" Diablo incredulously asked.

Stepping out from behind his defenders, Antoine looked around at the older wolves. Raising a closed hand to his mouth, he cleared his throat, preparing to address them. For the briefest of moments, the temptation to launch into some vainglorious yarn to wow the wolves tugged strongly at him (after all, impressing them had been one of his intentions when he’d initially snuck off), but he swiftly excised that idea from his mind. His experience back in the Cave of Shadows had driven home the point Stormblaze had tried to make earlier before the two of them joined forces -- no one liked a braggart. He would never again make the mistake of trying to make himself sound better then what he really was. So he simply replied, "Well, yes."

The twins hadn't taken their eyes off Antoine since Luna and Seff's announcement. Neither could comprehend how this blustering, jittery little canine had succeeded in slaying a dreaded sorcerer who’d bedeviled both the wolves and the locals for ages. Both spoke in the same instant. "How'd you do it?" Lyco demanded as Leeta questioned, "What happened?"

"Huh?" Antoine looked between the pair. Lyco and Leeta’s addressing him at the same time threw him off.

"They asked how did you kill the Skinwalker." Canus quietly clarified for him.

"Oh! Um, well, it was not easy. I was lucky to be able to cut his arm with mon sabre when he first attacked moi – er, me. But then he began throwing me around the cave, and there were several times when I was thinking that I was being doomed. I had to bite him one time to make him let go of me. Then Luna and Seff came into the chamber, and the Skinwalker saw them! He was about to attack them, but went for me first. But I was stopping him by stabbing him in the stomach."

The five wolves marveled at his story, swapping glances among themselves. Indeed, it did look like Antoine had gotten into a fight with someone or something.

Reynard was first to speak. "Well done, Antoine! We didn't think you had it in you!" He clapped Antoine on the shoulder, nearly toppling him over with his boisterous action. Acting fast, Reynard quickly grabbed Antoine before he could fall. "Oops! Sorry about that."

As Antoine rubbed his shoulder, thinking how fortunate he had been to survive a battle against the Skinwalker only to return and be manhandled by the Wolf Pack, Lyco and Leeta approached him again.

"You need to have those injuries of your’s tended to, you know." Lyco pointed out.

"Do not be fretting about moi, ladies." Antoine insisted, drawing himself up and putting on a composed air. Yet he was unable to prevent a squeak of pain from escaping him when Leeta laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh stop being so stubborn," Leeta lightly scolded. "You're acting about as silly as Diablo does when he gets a tiny little cut. You don't want to get an infection now, do you?" She and Lyco smiled sweetly at him.

"An infection?" Antoine echoed. Somehow that frightening possibility had slipped his mind. Gingerly, he felt his forehead. "Now that I am thinking about it, I am feeling the smallest bit feverish…"

Mystified by the abrupt change in Antoine's demeanor, the twins looked at one another before Lyco just rolled her eyes. ‘Some things never change.' She thought as she and Leeta attempted to bite back their laughter.

Seff was likewise amused, snickering as he watched the scene, but for an entirely different reason then the twins. To him, it was funny how Lyco and Leeta had been acting like they were ready to kill Antoine only seconds ago, but now were offering to patch him up. Females could be really strange.

In the midst of all the remarkable goings-on, they all failed to notice that someone new was coming over to join them. Only Seff took any notice. Immediately his amused grin was gone, and he stepped away, tail between his legs and ears pinned back.

Seeing that something had Seff rattled, Luna followed his gaze to discover what the cause was, and became similarly subdued. The rest of the pack quickly fell silent, and every eye avoided Antoine. Wondering what everybody’s problem was, Antoine got his answer when he turned around to look for himself.

Lupe was standing behind him, arms crossed over one another as she stared down at him. Antoine found himself practically shrinking under her steely gaze.

“Antoine, come with me. Now." She growled before stalking off, not bothering to see if he was following or not.

With a nervous gulp, Antoine avoided the eyes of the rest of the wolves as he slunk off after her.

As they walked in silence, Lupe led Antoine over to where the pack’s tipis were and to a particular one located right in the center of the bunch. He surmised that it must have belonged to Lupe. He watched as the she-wolf pushed aside the flaps covering the tipi's entrance and duck inside. Hurriedly he followed suit and sat down on the floor, close to the entrance. Lupe was seated Indian-style across from him, scowling angrily and refusing to look his way.

Although Antoine knew he was in serious trouble, he couldn't resist having a quick peek around, having never been inside a tipi before. The interior, though not especially spacious, was surprisingly cozy, with the floor being covered by skins and soft furs. A sliver of azure sky could be seen through a small opening at the top.

Finally, managing to call upon a tiny shred of courage within himself, Antoine addressed Lupe, although he found that his voice trembled as he did. "Um, mademoiselle? May I just say this was being my idea and mine's alone? So there is being no need to punish Luna and Seff."

Lupe didn't respond, continuing to ignore him instead. Antoine fidgeted in unease. The oppressive silence in the small space was terrible and only worsened as seconds stretched out into minutes. He had feared an angry lecture, but this was turning out to be far worse. How long was this going to last?

At last, after what had seemed like an eternity to Antoine, though in actuality it had only been eight minutes, Lupe spoke. In contrast to the sharp voice she had used to command him to come with her, she didn't sound angry, surprisingly enough. But there was no mistaking the disappointment in her tone. "If you were my son, you would be peeling prairie turnips and washing the whole pack's clothing for eight months straight for your disobedience." After a pause she demanded, "Were you just lying to me when you said you understood my orders not to leave?"

The possibility that his stunt might have very well caused Lupe to stop trusting in him after she’d helped him so much hadn't crossed Antoine's mind until then, and he began feeling extremely guilty. He hadn’t wanted to alienate one of the few people around who actually liked him. "No. I-I really was trying to go to sleep when you told me to. This is the truth. I guess mon going on the Spirit Quest was a last minute decision. I am very sorry for not listening to you, mademoiselle. I have no excuse for my actions." Ears drooping, he lowered his head.

"I understand how badly you desire for others to view you in a different light Antoine, but if you wish to become a better warrior, you cannot be so impulsive," Lupe chided, adjusting her position so that she was directly facing him. "Impulsiveness is what gets good Mobians killed. You must understand that your actions always have consequences. If you don't learn how to exercise better self-control, then someday you may end up making a mistake that cannot be easily repaired."

Antoine kept his eyes rooted to the floor. "Is there anything I can be doing to win back your trust?"

Lupe's gaze softened ever so slightly. "I have made far more foolish mistakes in my own youth, so I bear no ill will against you. Though I will admit to being disappointed that you chose not to listen to me."

Lupe fell quiet as she scrutinized him more closely. Antoine kept his eyes away from her own, wondering just how atrocious he surely must have looked just then and if she disapproved of his dirty, scruffy appearance. But instead she thoughtfully murmured, "There's something different about you."

Forgetting all about canine etiquette for the moment, Antoine looked up at Lupe. "There is? What?"

"It's your eyes."

His eyes? Had they been altered somehow when the Thunderbird gave him his powers, he wondered? 

But Lupe didn't go into the subject any further. "There haven’t been many outsiders who’ve ventured into the Cave of Shadows before and lived. What did you see while you were there?"

"I was… the Skinwalker, he…" Antoine struggled to spit out the words, but the memories that came flooding back made his throat feel like it was being constricted. Tears began stinging at his eyes. The nightmare he had witnessed back in the cave had illuminated a number of important truths, which he was thankful for, but that didn't make the truth any less hurtful.

Seeing how distressed he was becoming, Lupe decided not to press the matter. "There there now, it's alright," She soothed, bringing a comforting hand to his shoulder. "You must be hungry, and I imagine you wish to clean yourself up. But go see Lyco first. I believe she was about to attend to your injuries before I summoned you."

Antoine took a deep breath before answering, trying to get himself under control again. "Merci, mademoiselle. I will try to be less impulsive in the future, and listen to you better from here on out." Standing, he gave her a respectful salute and departed from the tipi.

Honestly, Antoine wasn't sure if he would do everything all over again if given the opportunity to. While on one hand he was overjoyed to realize that he could be just as brave as his heroes, like his father or Sir Aleron, as well as actually being rewarded with powers of his very own, he hated the fact that he’d disappointed Lupe. But if he hadn't went along with them, then would Seff and Luna still have come through their Spirit Quest unscathed and alive? Plus, if he had stayed behind, then he would have remained ignorant to the ugly reality about his relationship with the other Knothole Freedom Fighters. He knew he had been wrong to ignore Lupe's orders, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt he had done the right thing by accompanying Luna and Seff.

These thoughts weighed heavily on Antoine as he made his way to a stream that was nearby the campsite and which supplied the wolves with fresh water. So preoccupied was he that he failed to notice Stormblaze standing near Lupe's tent until he hailed Antoine. Stopping to wait for Stormblaze to join him, Antoine wondered how long he had been there.

"Were you evening dropping?" The rather suspicious coydog asked Stormblaze walked up to him.

Although Antoine had bungled the word, Stormblaze knew what he really meant to say, and was offended by the allegation. "Eavesdropping, you mean. And most certainly not! I was waiting for you to come out, actually. The Wolf Pack informed me that you had finally returned."

"Oh. Sorry." Antoine muttered, despondence returning to his voice. The last thing he wanted was to have Stormblaze upset with him. "Are you going to be scolding moi too?"

"No…" Stormblaze shook his head, then brusquely added, "Lupe has already done that I believe, so I will not waste breath in telling you how thoughtless you were in defying her orders. Or how your little impromptu side-journey has devoured precious time that could have been spent getting closer to Sierra Verde instead, or that you could have been seriously hurt or even killed out there."

Antoine cringed at what he believed was the start of yet another round of chastisement, but Stormblaze suddenly rested a hand on his back. His expression was gentler then it had been only a second ago as he looked down at Antoine. "Besides, I heard that you have been through much."

"Do not worry. I am being fine." A relieved Antoine lightly replied, waving Stormblaze's concern off. But he didn't think he sounded very convincing, and knew Stormblaze could tell he wasn't fine at all. Thankfully, Stormblaze choose not to question him about it. Antoine liked how Stormblaze wouldn't pressure him into sharing his thoughts when he didn't feel like it. It was one of several reasons why he enjoyed spending time with him. Antoine greatly appreciated the company of someone willing to tolerate his idiosyncrasies with such amazing patience. It was also a lot more comfortable speaking to Stormblaze about certain subjects that he couldn’t easily approach even somebody like Bunnie or Rosie about.

Antoine glanced up at him again. "Um, Stormblaze? I would like to be thanking you."

The unicorn's ears swiveled forward. "Thank me? Whatever for?"

"Just… Just for caring about moi. Since we have begun traveling together, I have been learning so much from you, and you… well, you are actually listening to me and treating me like a real person with real feelings. I am not afraid when you are around."

Antoine's heartfelt admission obviously embarrassed Stormblaze. Coughing a few times, he awkwardly shuffled his hooves around in the dirt. Being males, neither he nor Antoine were especially used to putting their emotions out there so openly. It was something their respective societies tended to strongly discourage, especially among the military caste. It was something considered far more acceptable from the fairer sex.

Finally, Stormblaze replied in a strained, thick voice that made Antoine wonder if he was actually on the verge of crying, "Come now, you're getting sentimental on me, you little duffer." Affectionately cuffing Antoine, he smiled warmly and said in a more normal but quieter voice, "But you need not thank me. I have traveled by myself for three long years now, so I likewise have enjoyed your company on this venture."

"You have? Even though I have been causing all this trouble? I am knowing now that most Mobians like Sally and Bunnie let me think I was being their friend just to be nice to moi. I am used to it by now."

"Maybe other Mobians pretend to tolerate one another, but a truly honorable unicorn would never engage in such deceit. If we say someone is our friend, then we truly mean it."

Together, the mismatched pair watched in silence as the sun continued to rise, appreciating the view as well as the other's company. While Stormblaze did like the Wolf Pack (well, with the exception of Diablo) for their friendly and down-to-earth personalities, not having his fellow misfit around for much of the previous day had just felt off to him. And Antoine of course had found himself missing Stormblaze, even though Luna and Seff were generally fun to be around. His experience in the Cave of Shadows had made him recognize just how important Stormblaze's camaraderie and support really was to him. He was extremely grateful that there was finally another Mobian around who he could call his friend and know that to be true.

"Well, I suppose I must be going to clean myself up…" Antoine turned to leave.

Stormblaze nodded. "Of course, of course… oh, before you run off, I could, um..." He indicated the scratch on Antoine's nose.

Puzzled, Antoine tried to see exactly what was wrong with his nose, eyes crossing in a humorous fashion as he did, before finally realizing that Stormblaze was offering to heal him. He had almost forgotten how battered and bruised he was. Before, the Thunderbird's magic had effectively deadened the pain, but Stormblaze's reminder seemed to bring it rushing back with a vengeance. Maybe there was a limit on the length of time the Thunderbird's magic acted like an anesthetic. Antoine knew he was going to be sore all over tomorrow.

Trying not to pay attention to his pain, Antoine made himself offhandedly reply, "Oh, that is being alright. I was actually on mon way to see mademoiselle Lyco about it."

Stormblaze quirked an eyebrow, but then a devilish grin spread across his muzzle. "Oh? Would this be because Miss Lyco is a skilled healer, or because of the fact she wears clothing that shows off quite a bit of leg?"

If Antoine was capable of blushing, then his face would have turned a bright shade of red. “You are being i-i-imporridge – incorrigible!" He exclaimed, embarrassment causing his infamous stutter to return.

Stormblaze laughed. "It's what my instructors said I do best." He pretended to think, stroking his chin and turning his gaze skywards. "Perhaps I should start prancing about in such garb…"

"I was not needing that picture," Antoine grimaced, but wound up having to laugh himself at the bizarre mental image of Stormblaze in a leotard. "Please be keeping your tunic on."

****

 

The next day, once he had awakened and dressed himself, Antoine borrowed a hand-held mirror from Leeta. Presently he was sitting out of view behind one of the tipis, the mirror in hand as he studied himself in it. Lupe's comment the other day about his eyes was still on his mind. He didn't know exactly what it was he had been expecting to see, but nothing about him looked any different from before, including his eyes. Outwardly, he was still just the same old Antoine. Maybe Lupe's statement had some deeper meaning behind it or something.

Today, he and Stormblaze were going to be leaving the Wolf Pack to continue their quest. Stormblaze was up as well, and by now, most likely ready to go. Antoine was somewhat surprised the unicorn hadn't slept in later, considering how much he had eaten and drunk during last night's celebration. Not only had it been held in honor of Seff and Luna, but for Antoine and his defeat of the Skinwalker. Luna had been correct about the other Wolf Pack members generally being willing to forgive him for tagging along on the Spirit Quest, since he had succeeded in saving her and Seff’s lives twice over now. Even Diablo, who Antoine thought would have been howling the loudest for him to be punished for breaking Pack Law, hadn't complained much. The wellbeing of their youngest members was far more important to the wolves then tradition.

Everyone had had a good time at the festivities, and the jubilant mood in the air had even affected Antoine, who had started feeling better since having his injuries tended to. He had even been nervy enough to join in on the pack's dancing after observing them and figuring out how the steps went, surprising his then-dance partner Lyco as well as everyone else. Luna had been quick to steal him away from Lyco, he recalled with amusement, but he was happy to oblige her with a couple of dances. She probably would have danced with him all night if Reynard hadn't broken in and requested a dance from her. Truth be told, Antoine was glad for the reprieve. He could feel himself starting to tire, and wanted another opportunity to dance with Leeta (and hopefully Lyco) again. Stormblaze had no interest in dancing, preferring to sit back, watch, and eat instead.

Sometime after the dance, Seff and Luna related the story of their Spirit Quest to their pack mates, with Antoine pitching in occasionally. He was thankful they omitted certain parts, namely his descent into terrified hysterics after the sorrax attack. He hadn't mention a single word about what the Skinwalker had actually done to him before attacking him, and neither did Luna and Seff, but that was only because they knew nothing of what he had witnessed. On their way back, Luna and Seff had questioned him as to why he had left them in the first place. Antoine's response had been that he had heard strange noises and wanted to investigate to make sure everything was safe. It was a partial truth. He didn't wish to go into further detail. He knew he would have been asked what had transpired once he had arrived in the central chamber and found "Sally" waiting there for him. The coydog repressed a shudder at the memory.

With the chaos and commotion of the past twenty-four hours, Antoine hadn't had time to dwell much on his battle with the Skinwalker. He did remember how infuriated he had become when the Skinwalker revealed his manipulations to him. He couldn’t think of another instance in his lifetime where he had ever been as enraged as he had been during that moment. His mind strayed back to a conversation between Luna, Seff, and himself they’d had on the way back to camp.

"What was it like, killing the Skinwalker?" Seff was asking

"What was it like?" Antoine echoed, not really knowing how to answer that. "I do not know… it was not something I was enjoying." He honestly replied.

Seff wasn’t just confused but unimpressed by that response, as was indicated by his expression. "So… you're saying you feel bad for killing him then?"

Antoine frowned. "I would not be going that far. He was going to kill you and Luna – after he was finishing killed moi. I was not about to let him do that."

Indeed, while having to snuff out the life of another living being was strange and disconcerting, Antoine wasn't going to be shedding any tears for the Skinwalker anytime soon. From what the Wolf Pack had told him, the sorcerer's presence had long been a blight on the Greenbacks. They viewed his death as a blessing and said as much.

Grabbing his knapsack, Antoine began making his way to the westernmost outskirts of camp, carrying the mirror in his hand for safekeeping until it could be returned to its owner. 

Since his return, Reynard hadn't once harried him with questions regarding what he saw in the cave, surprisingly enough. Antoine wondered if that was because Lupe had told Reynard not to bother him, or if Reynard realized he had had a hard night and decided to give him his space.

Last night's merrymaking had helped take Antoine's mind off darker thoughts, though they were never truly far from the surface. But thankfully, his sleep had been deep and dreamless. When he awakened earlier, he was quite pleased to find that the collar of his uniform, which had been torn by the Skinwalker's sharp claws, had been repaired, most likely by one of the wolves (as he didn't think Stormblaze could sew). Antoine really appreciated the gesture. He would miss the Wolf Pack, even though he knew he would likely see them again at some point in the near future. He was thankful for the time he’d been able to spend in their company, even if it hadn't been very long. He didn't think he would have gotten the same opportunity to become more familiar with the wolves and understand them better if the other Freedom Fighters had been around.

"Hey, Antoine!" An upbeat voice called out from further behind him. Antoine’s ears perked up. He didn't need to take a look to know that Seff and Luna were bounding after him, and he stopped to allow them to catch up. When they had, he resumed walking, the cubs falling in right beside him. Antoine’s eyes went right to the single gold circlets which now adorned Seff and Luna's respective wrists: her right and his left. Lupe had gifted the proud young wolves with the bands in front of everybody last night.

"Bonjour, mon amies." Antoine chirped in greeting. He needed to introduce these two to Tails, he thought. He bet Luna and Seff would have taken a liking to the fox, and Tails would really enjoy being able to play with other cubs for a change. As of late, Antoine had become aware of the fact that Tails sometimes felt left out around Knothole Village due to being the youngest Mobian there. But then Antoine bitterly reminded himself that he would probably never see Tails again, since returning to Knothole would not be in his best interests.

Luna's perplexed voice snapped Antoine out of his resentful thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." Antoine smiled again at the lupine duo, who was watching him with some concern, to reassure them. Quickly he changed the subject. "Were the two of you seeing anything in the cave last night? I am meaning a vision, not the Skinwalker."

Luna and Seff shared a glance before Seff replied, "Well, before we came looking for you, we're pretty sure we did -- in our dreams."

Antoine immediately felt guilty -- for not only having awakened them, but for possibly disrupting an important event which might have helped determine their respective futures. "Mon apology for interrupting your dreams."

"Aw, don't feel bad." Luna reassured him. "You don’t know how happy I am we decided to go looking for you. What would've happened if we hadn't?"

She made a good point. If they hadn't barged into the chamber when they had, Antoine wondered would he still have been able to summon the strength needed to slay the Skinwalker. What would have happened to the three of them then? He was not sure if he really wanted to contemplate that question any further.

"And it's not like the dumb dreams made a whole lot of sense anyway." Seff said, irritation coming through in his tone.

"What were they being about?"

"We wish we could say, but you're only supposed to tell the chief wolf and the pack shaman what you dreamed about." Luna explained.

Antoine nodded in understanding. "Well, if there is anyone who can help you learn more about these dreams, then it is mademoiselle Lupe. She is being one of the wisest Mobians I am knowing of."

"We're supposed to talk with her privately later today and tell her what we saw in our dreams." Seff said. "Our shaman isn't here with us, but tia's just as good as one, I think."

As the trio neared the rendezvous spot, they saw that the rest of the pack as well as Stormblaze were there already. Presently, Stormblaze was being besieged by Lyco and Leeta, both of whom had their arms around him in a friendly hug.

"You must come see us again. I enjoyed beating you so easily in our archery contest!" Lyco joked.

"I insist on having another contest, bow-maiden. I maintain the sun was in my eyes and ruined my shots." Stormblaze replied, prompting laughter from Lyco and the others.

"Here is your mirror, mademoiselle." Antoine politely said once the laughter had died down, handing the item back to Leeta. "Thank you for allowing me to use it."

"No problem." The perky pink wolf flashed him a bright smile as she accepted her mirror. "You know, not only are you not such a bad guy after all, but you're also a pretty good dancer. Just keep letting Edward here show you how to loosen up." Winking, she jerked a thumb over at Stormblaze.

Antoine had heard others say that he needed to loosen up before, so by this point in time, actually understood what that particular bit of slang meant. Rather than take offense however, he was just pleased to actually be receiving a compliment from a Wolf Pack member, as was evident in his own smile. "Merci. I will be remembering that."

"Next time, you think you could show us some dances from Mercia and the Acorn Kingdom?" Lyco asked him. "I've always been curious about the dance styles they have there."

"I would be more than glad to, mademoiselle." As frightening as she and her sister could be when their ire was roused, one would have to be blind not to notice how pretty they were. Antoine may have carried on like a lovesick puppy over Sally's classic kind of beauty, but he had never truly been oblivious to the attractiveness of other females. That was especially true now that he was no longer interested in Sally. Antoine may have been stuffy and uptight, but he wasn't made of stone. Still though, he certainly didn't possess the audacity to approach Leeta or Lyco like that (for one thing, he wasn't even sure if the wolves were allowed to court those outside their own kind). He figured he would have to content himself with dances with them and admiring them from afar.

Antoine bowed low to the entire pack. "I thank each and every one of you very much for everything you have been doing for Edward and myself."

"Anytime, little guy." Canus chuckled, coming forward to grab Antoine and playfully muss his headfur, much to Antoine’s surprise and dismay and the amusement of the others. Antoine might have changed in some ways, but he remained very much the same in certain others. In this case, he was still particular about his headfur, preferring to keep it in its typically neat style. Still though, he decided it would be better to tolerate the affectionate gesture – after all, he was supposed to be making an effort to not be so stiff all the time. So he settled for putting up a mild protest instead. "Monsieur Canus, please!…"

Grinning like a mischievous cub, Canus tousled Antoine's hair one last time before finally releasing him. Stumbling away, Antoine shot Canus a look that was equal parts annoyance and good humor as he attempted to carefully smooth his hair back into place. Antoine had decided that the next time he crossed paths with the Wolf Pack, he would have to spend more time with Canus. They both shared a common interest in cooking, and he liked Canus' gentle and undemanding demeanor.

Seff and Luna were next, Luna being the first to reach Antoine. Her hands were clasped together, and there was a shy smile on her face. She was acting unusually bashful, just like when she and Antoine had been standing outside the Cave of Shadows together looking at the moon. "Um, so… do you think you could teach me some of those fancy dance moves too?" She asked.

"Of course." Antoine smiled, hoping to alleviate her shyness. He found himself wondering what had happened to that outspoken young girl he was conversing with earlier.

It seemed like she had something more to say, but Seff, tired of waiting for his sister to spit out what she had to say, quite literally barged in between the two of them, forcing Luna to step back in order to keep from being brushed aside. Unaware that Luna was radiating pure vitriol at him for interrupting her moment with Antoine, Seff flung a gangly arm around Antoine's shoulders in a chummy manner.

"Antoine mi amigo, remember what I was saying before about calling on us whenever you're in trouble? Well, if you and the other Freedom Fighters ever have any giant battles or something coming up, send for me, okay?”

He was looking hopefully at Antoine, who in turn was unable to keep from grinning at Seff's eagerness. Now that he could actually participate in the fighting, Seff just might get his wish. "I will be keeping that in mind." He told Seff.

Diablo was still his old standoffish self, watching everything in impassive silence. Without any hesitation though, Antoine approached him and held out his hand. "Monsieur."

Diablo could do nothing but stare, taken off-guard by Antoine's actions before finally accepting his offered hand and shaking it a little awkwardly. "Antoine." He gruffly replied, nodding once at him.

'It's a start.' Antoine thought. When he got to Lupe, Antoine was prepared to formally bow to her, but to his surprise, she firmly clasped him by his wrist. He had witnessed her employ the same gesture before when she was either greeting or saying goodbye to Sally and Sonic. He had come to discover it was how the wolves, and more specifically wolves who were warriors, acknowledged their fellow warriors. Both individuals had to grip the other's wrist, he remembered, so he reciprocated the gesture.

Pleasantly surprised that Antoine knew what he was doing, Lupe let go of his wrist, and, placing her hands on his shoulders, leaned in to speak to him in a lowered tone of voice. "Your encounter with the Thunderbird was no mere coincidence. Have more faith in yourself, and learn how to understand and control the power given to you." Returning her voice to its usual level, she then added, "It has been a great pleasure to share both your and Edward's company."

"Don't be strangers!" Reynard said, enthusiastically shaking Stormblaze's hand before going over to Antoine and doing likewise. "In fact Antoine, next time we see you, maybe we'll show you some of the tricks we use in battle."

"Really?" Antoine couldn't believe his ears. An incident from the past suddenly replayed itself in his mind, one where he had accidentally overheard Sally and a few other Freedom Fighters discussing the possibility of sending Tails off to train with the Wolf Pack when he came of age. Antoine just happened to be strolling by Sally's hut and hadn't been intending to listen in on her conversation with Bunnie and Tatiana, a tiger who was visiting Knothole at the time, but Sally's window had been left ajar. He was actually heading back to his own hut after having just visited Knothole’s orchard when he heard his own name bought up, and not in a flattering manner either. Bunnie had asked the other two girls if any of the male Freedom Fighters would make good mentors for Tails. It was Tatiana who mentioned his name, following it up with a nasty snicker. Antoine definitely knew an insult when he heard it, even a backhanded one like that, and, hot with embarrassment, had gotten as far away from Sally's hut as quickly as possible so he wouldn't have to hear anymore. Sally hadn't even tried defending him or anything, which in retrospect wasn't terribly surprising. And Bunnie hadn't spoken up on his behalf either.

"I don't see why not." Lupe broke in. "If you are to become a warrior, then familiarizing yourself with different combat techniques and weapons will serve to make you a well-rounded fighter. And not only will that benefit you, but it would be something of use to your fellow Freedom Fighters as well."

At the mention of the rest of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, Antoine's exultant demeanor wavered for a split second, but being so genuinely delighted and touched by the Wolf Pack's offer, he recovered swiftly. "Oui. It would be a very great honor to train with all of you!" The fact that the Wolf Pack had actually extended the offer to assist him with his training without needing to be asked first wasn't lost on him. It made him wish Sally, Sonic, Bunnie, Tatiana, and everybody else could be right there with them at that very moment. He would have loved to have seen the looks on their faces.

"Until then, I'm sure you'll be in good hands." Lupe's comment sounded casual enough, but as she said it, she threw Stormblaze a significant glance. Last night, Lupe had taken him aside and told him that she wished for Antoine stay on with them so he could be trained in the use of his new abilities. Stormblaze had to explain that they could not remain in the Greenbacks for much longer, choosing to reveal the truth behind his and Antoine's quest as well as his actual identity to her. He had decided that Lupe could be trusted with his secret. Thankfully, Lupe understood the urgency of their mission. Stormblaze also informed her that he already was in the process of training Antoine and would broaden the sessions and make them even more rigorous then before.

For his part, Stormblaze nodded in turn, acknowledging her unspoken thoughts. "But of course, milady," He said, bowing low in Lupe’s direction. "Your gracious hospitality has been very much appreciated. I am most pleased to have made your acquaintance and the acquaintances of your fellows."

Smiling all the while, Lupe exchanged the warrior's greeting with him. "Think nothing of it, amigo. It was a pleasant surprise to have met you as well."

****

 

"You seem to be quite popular with the ladies of the Wolf Pack, particularly the youngest. In fact, I’d daresay she's taken a fancy to you." Stormblaze told Antoine, a note of amusement in his voice.

They were walking side by side down a rocky trail that would lead them out of the Greenbacks. By then, the Wolf Pack's camp was well behind them, obscured from sight by the big boulders and wooded tors. 

Antoine's features contorted into a thoughtful frown. "You know, Luna did start acting very strangely around moi during the Spirit Quest. I was not understanding why, but now that you are mentioning it…" Eyes going wide in his realization, he buried his face in his hands, groaning lightly. "Great." He liked Luna, but strictly as a friend.

"I wouldn't fret too much," Stormblaze chuckled. "I believe we weren't the only ones to pick up on Luna's behavior. I suspect Lupe will be having a talk with her sooner or later. At any rate, look at it this way: you've got yourself an admirer now. Give the lass a couple of years. That one will be a looker when she comes of age, I think."

Antoine rolled his eyes. "That is easy for you to say. You will still likely be looking the same years from now. But for moi, a 'couple of years' is being too long to wait for a girl."

"Relax. Romance is not a race, even though everybody acts as though it is. It may take a while for you to find the right lady, or it may happen as soon as tomorrow. Besides, would you rather rush into things and find yourself caught in a bad relationship?" Although Stormblaze was advising him to exercise patience, he could understand Antoine's frustrations. For all of his seeming indifference towards romance, secretly he wouldn't have objected one bit if a desirable female happened to come along and showed interest in him. As soon as that thought entered Stormblaze's mind, he inwardly scolded himself for turning the situation onto himself and desiring something that would probably never happen.

Antoine shook his head, his expression still an unhappy one. "I am seeing what you mean. I do not like it, but I understand."


	10. Chapter 10

The fact that Antoine never seemed to have displayed any special powers of his own like Sonic, Tails, Bunnie, Dulcy, or even Stormblaze all did had long been a source of vexation for him. To Antoine, having a power of some sort would have at least made up for his lack of talent in more mundane areas. After all, Dulcy didn't seem to have any outstanding skills and couldn't even make a proper landing whenever she finished one of her flights, but he felt she was still a more useful Freedom Fighter then he’d ever been. He believed he had had absolutely nothing to contribute to the group. But now that he finally possessed a power of his own – not just one, but several at that! -- it felt like he could do anything.

And it was truly a great feeling.

Antoine had come to discover that his physical strength had significantly increased, as had his reflexes, endurance, and agility. It was a gradual realization, a buildup of little incidents here and there. For example, suddenly he was able to lift a lot more weight than he ever could before. While he was certainly nowhere near as powerful as Stormblaze was in terms of strength, he was still stronger than most other canines his own size and age typically were.

Another day, when Antoine wanted a better view of their surroundings and scrambled up a rocky tor to do so, a baffled Stormblaze had questioned him as to how he had been climb up so quickly. Now, Antoine felt like he could finally start pulling his own weight on the quest and better aid Stormblaze.

What little Stormblaze initially knew of what happened to Antoine during the Spirit Quest had been picked up second hand from Lupe. The story he was ultimately given by Antoine himself sounded more than a little bizarre in Stormblaze's opinion, and that was coming from a unicorn who had lived much of his life on a hidden mystical island. Apparently Antoine had succeeded in slaying the Skinwalker, some sort of cannibalistic fell sorcerer, and was granted powers by the Thunderbird, another supernatural being who the Skinwalker had trapped inside the Cave of Shadows, as a result.

After six weeks of moving south, they found themselves in a new district. According to Antoine's map, it was called Carnia. There, the landscape was low-lying, dominated mostly by vast fields, lakes, and small rivers. It looked as if forests had existed there at one point, but a lot of the trees had been since cut down with only a few still remaining. In the distance, they could make out the outline of a city.

"Well, I suppose this is as good a place as any to bed down for the night." Stormblaze announced, studying their surroundings. He hadn't been very keen on spending the night out on the prairie. He much preferred dense woodland and mountainous areas, which played to a unicorn's natural capabilities of concealment and stealth. They were fortunate to have discovered this small forest – the undergrowth wasn't thick enough to impede movement, and the trees around them were fairly high. There was also a water source, a creek, in the vicinity, and plenty of wood to start a fire with.

"I can be getting the firewood!" Antoine volunteered, taking his knapsack off and slinging it aside.

Raising an eyebrow, Stormblaze turned to look at Antoine. "You seem even more energetic than usual." Although he knew the reason why the coydog had been behaving this way lately, Stormblaze still wasn't used to seeing him so animated after a long hard day of travel. While Antoine had been growing more used to the laborious demands the quest was placing on his body, before, it still hadn't taken much for him to doze off after they had pitched camp.

"Well, I guess you could be saying that I am feeling like a new Mobian." Antoine jauntily retorted before darting off through the trees.

Stormblaze didn't reply, instead going to work pitching the tent. While he did, his mind couldn’t help but wander back to the night of Antoine's disappearance from the Wolf Pack’s camp. Stormblaze's instincts had warned him that Antoine was in the gravest of dangers and wouldn’t allow him a peaceful night's rest, tormenting him with grim nightmares instead. He wanted to search for Antoine a second time, but knew that venturing out into unfamiliar territory would do neither of them any good. Just as Lupe had said earlier, all he could do was wait and pray that Antoine would return alive and unharmed.

When Stormblaze was finished putting the tent up, he waited for Antoine to return with firewood so they could get started on dinner. While doing so, he plucked a sprig of grass for himself to chew on. After several more minutes Antoine finally returned, bearing a large load of firewood in his arms. It was a wonder that he was able to carry it all as easily as he was.

"Do you believe you have found us enough firewood, little wolf?" Stormblaze wryly asked from where he sat.

Stormblaze's joke flew right over Antoine's head. His eyes darted down to his burden. "Why? Is this not being enough?"

"More than enough. I daresay we could survive an entire winter with that much wood."

As Antoine made his way over to the area where they intended to build the fire, a piece of wood fell from off his stack, landing in the middle of his path. Before Stormblaze could warn him, Antoine stepped right on the stick and stumbled, threatening to drop the entire load of wood and fall flat on his face.

Stormblaze rushed over to help, but Antoine was able to quickly regain his balance as well as maintain his grip on most of the firewood. Carefully straightening himself back up, he noticed Stormblaze standing over him and cast him an irritated look. "Stormblaze, I am not needing you to coddle moi."

"Well, pardon me." A put-out Stormblaze mumbled, backing off. "I just wanted to help."

Apparently, new powers weren't the only things Antoine had come back with from the Spirit Quest. In place of the timid teenager who had eagerly accepted Stormblaze's help in becoming a knight was now an arrogant, somewhat unsympathetic fighter who trusted no one else's abilities but his own. Granted, in the time that Stormblaze had grown to know him, he had come to see that Antoine tended to have something of a presumptuous manner about himself anyways (in certain areas more than others), but this was a different sort of arrogance. There was a distinct coldness to it, and Stormblaze got the impression that he was more willing to back it up now.

Stormblaze remembered one particular incident which had occurred over a week ago. He and Antoine had spotted a SWATBot patrol consisting of a dozen of the dome-headed humanoid robots. While Stormblaze was willing to take on four SWATBots at most, he wasn't quite as willing to fight twelve of them (not without some backup anyways). Neither did he wish to endanger Antoine, who’s fighting skills still required work. Despite Antoine's unexpected desire to actually go and confront the SWATBots, Stormblaze reponded that discretion was the better part of valor. So they attempted to steal away, but their foes had uncovered their presence and chased the two Mobians down, leading to a skirmish.

Stormblaze found himself squaring off against a SWATBot. He was just as strong as they were, and had the added bonuses of ingenuity and cunning on his side. Having just disarmed the robot, he and it were now grappling together. Finally, he managed to overpower the SWATBot and furiously rained blow after blow down upon its head. One final punch left the SWATBot's head crumpled in like a crushed soda can and put it down for good.

As Stormblaze turned to search for his next enemy, a crimson flash of light whizzed through the air and grazed his right forearm, eliciting a hiss of pain from him. A SWATBot was standing behind him, its smoking laser cannon in hand. Raising the weapon, it took aim at Stormblaze again.

That was when the gleaming, curved blade of a sword sliced down through the air as well as the gun's barrel, cutting the laser cannon in two and rendering it useless.

Honestly, Stormblaze hadn't been sure what Antoine would be doing during the melee, and hoped he wasn't in any trouble. However, he quickly came to realize that that wasn't the case at all.

The SWATBot didn't have time to react to its weapon being destroyed as its legs were chopped off at the knee by a sabre-wielding Antoine. The coydog then turned his attention to the rest of the robots. He seemed to be everywhere at once, looking for all the world like a little blaze of browns and blue as he viciously slashed and skewered robots with his blade.

There was no time to stop and stare however, as Stormblaze was forced to go on the defensive as another SWATBot fired on him with its laser cannon. Turning, he charged right at the SWATBot, zigzagging from side to side on all fours as laser fire tore up the ground around him. Reaching his foe, Stormblaze caught the SWATBot dead in the chest plate with his horn. With one mighty toss of his head he sent the SWATBot sailing overhead and crashing to the ground behind him. It wasn't going to be getting up after that.

Soon they had managed to defeat the whole platoon between them. The SWATBots that hadn't been destroyed by Antoine Stormblaze finished off. He marveled at the destruction they had wrecked on the hated automatons.

Noticing Stormblaze gawking at him, a panting Antoine met his eye. "Well? How was that being?"

It took Stormblaze a moment to recover his senses before finally managing to utter, "Er… good."

In spite of his astonishment, Stormblaze was proud Antoine had put up such a fierce fight. But looking back, he felt that episode marked a turning point for the worse. Now Antoine would refuse all offers of assistance for anything, even from Stormblaze. While Stormblaze did want him to become bolder and more independent, this wasn't quite what he had in mind. Antoine's harsh new attitude only seemed to grow worse with each passing day. While he had told Stormblaze about some of his experiences on the Spirit Quest, Stormblaze sensed there were things he was holding back. He wished Antoine would come out and tell him the whole story. Perhaps then he would be able to uncover the reason for Antoine's moodiness.

At least their training sessions were coming along without too much trouble. Antoine had actually come close to besting Stormblaze a few times, though his sword work was still unrefined.

Now Antoine was busy stacking some of the firewood into a small pile for the fire, having already set the rest over by the tent. Once that task was through, he started rummaging through his knapsack, totally oblivious to Stormblaze's pensive mood. "What are you wanting tonight? The tomato soup or the mashed potatoes? There is also the food the Wolf Pack was giving us." He said, all traces of his earlier show of temper gone as fast as it had come on.

"Eh? Oh, the potatoes, I suppose." Sighing, Stormblaze wondered what could provoked such a dramatic change in Antoine’s personality.  
________________________________________

Strange noises roused Antoine out of a dead sleep. He didn't know what was going on, and at first wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. But when he realized the sounds were coming from outside his tent, he tensed up.

Moving slowly and carefully so as to not make any noise, Antoine pushed himself up into a sitting position, then peeked out between the tent flaps to see what was going on. Was Stormblaze out there?

From where he was, Antoine didn't see Stormblaze, who was supposed to be asleep close by. Ten feet away, a form could be seen crouched over some unidentifiable object. Whoever that was, it was definitely not Stormblaze -- not unless he had somehow shrunk significantly and grew his fur out.

The strange individual's back was to Antoine, but Antoine came to recognize the object that was the focus of his or her attention as his own knapsack. Somehow, the stranger had managed to enter the tent without waking him or Stormblaze and swiped his knapsack.

The other Mobian rapidly rifled through the knapsack's contents, tossing aside anything they evidently didn't deem valuable, much to Antoine's outrage. Whoever this was, they had no right to poach his belongings!

But the biggest outrage was yet to come. Lying on the ground by the scruffy individual’s side was some kind of strange object. Antoine squinted, trying to discern exactly what it was. As he moved about, the thief unwittingly nudged the item with a foot, pushing it into the moonlight and causing it to briefly shine bright white. Antoine saw that it was his precious sabre.

A new wave of fury flowing through him, Antoine charged out to confront the other Mobian. "Stop, you... you-you thief!"

Startled, the would-be robber spun around. His small pointed muzzle and copious mustache and beard gave him away as a Yorkshire terrier. Seeing Antoine standing there glowering fiercely at him, he was off like a shot, taking the sabre with him. "Mine!" The terrier snapped over his shoulder.

While he could hear Stormblaze stirring behind him, Antoine decided he could not afford to wait for him, and gave chase. Although the Yorkshire terrier had a head-start on him, the shorter canine fumbled with the sabre, which was nearly twice as long as he was, the entire way.

The chase took them out of the grove and down a nearby country road. Antoine's speed was allowing him to quickly gain ground on the sword thief. Just as he was getting close enough to reach right out and grab hold of the little scoundrel, Antoine ran straight into something that felt as large and solid as an oak tree. The sheer force of the impact knocked him flat on his back. For a moment he was too dazed to do anything but just lie there on the ground, unfocused eyes gazing up at the sky.

Finally Antoine sat up and shook his head, hoping to make everything around him stop spinning. That was when he noticed the second dog standing in his way – a brindle Irish wolfhound who was as tall and well-muscled as the terrier was small and wiry. His shaggy face bore a stern expression as he stared down at Antoine. Antoine thought that he had to be the Mobian he’d just crashed into. Even though the wolfhound was much larger then himself, Antoine wasn’t intimidated. Not like he would have been before.

Nearby, a Doberman pinscher in a sleeveless blue denim vest, all toned muscle and sharp angles, looked on. Standing at his side was Antoine's thief. He was smirking triumphantly, still clutching his ill-gotten prize.

Flashing his lethal white fangs in a sneer, the Doberman swaggered over to Antoine, who was picking himself up off the ground, and loomed threateningly over him. "You must be new around here, because no one's stupid enough to challenge us," He said, the gravelly pitch of his voice adding to the menace in his words. "Why don't you do the smart thing and keep walking?"

Antoine glared right back at him. After all he had been through, he wasn't about to allow a couple of mangy crooks to scare him. "I am not caring who any of you are, I will be getting monsabre back."

"Stand down, pup." The Irish wolfhound warned in a voice reminiscent of thunder.

"You stand down." Antoine snapped back. "Now, give me back my sabre, or I will be taking it back!"

Clearly surprised by Antoine's bravado, the wolfhound and the Yorkshire terrier quietly murmured between themselves. But the Doberman just growled. "Who do you think you are, comin' onto our turf with that fancy getup and hairdo and makin' demands, Mercian? You get lost looking for the beauty parlor?" He and his cohorts broke out into uproarious laughter.

Antoine's hackles rose, but then a sly smile suddenly played on his muzzle. "How droll. But not surprising. I am thinking that as pointed as your head is being, there must not be much room for a brain in there."

The laughter ceased as though it had been cut off with a meat cleaver. The Irish wolfhound and the Yorkshire terrier stared at Antoine, no doubt wondering if he had a death wish. Not surprisingly, the Doberman had an entirely different reaction. Snarling, he stormed towards Antoine, ready to start throwing punches. "Why you little --"

The blows never fell as a cream-furred hand suddenly stayed the Doberman’s arm. The hand's owner, a scrappy-looking dog who appeared to be part terrier, was smiling calmly and pleasantly at Antoine from the Doberman’s side. "Take it easy, Dag."

Grudgingly lowering his fist, the Doberman, Dag, moved aside as the newcomer came forward to size Antoine up. He was leanly built, and stood taller than Antoine did but was shorter then Dag, and definitely shorter than the Irish wolfhound. Like the three other dogs, he was obviously an adult. Aside from the brown pants he wore, the only other article of clothing the newcomer had on was a yellow bandanna which had been tied jauntily around his neck. The bandanna failed to completely conceal a long thin scar which ran from the left side of his neck down to his shoulder.

"So, not only do you catch Slipp, but you stand up to my boys too? That's pretty gutsy, kid." The mongrel remarked, sounding impressed as he folded wiry arms over his shaggy chest. "Who are you?"

Antoine cast a wary glance over at the other dogs. "Antoine D'Coolette."

His answer seemed to spark the terrier-mix's interest. He methodically began circling Antoine, his dark brown eyes intently studying him. In turn Antoine kept a watchful eye on the terrier-mix, wondering what he was up to, but he never attempted to attack or anything like that.

When the terrier-mix was done, he stopped in front of Antoine. "D'Coolette? As in General D'Coolette? Are you his kid? Nephew maybe?"

Antoine nodded. "I am his son, oui."

At that the terrier-mix swore excitedly and grinned broadly, enhancing the roguish air about himself. "Really? You pullin' my tail here?"

Antoine blinked a bit at the dog's casual swearing. No matter how many times he heard others use such language, he didn't think he’d ever care for it himself. "Er… Are you knowing him?"

A sober expression clouded the mongrel's features. "Never had the pleasure I'm afraid, but I’ve heard a lot about him. He sounded like a great Mobian. Oh, where my manners? You can call me the Smiling Bandit. I got that name on account of my winning personality. Or you can just call me Bandit too, if you wanna be informal." He winked impishly at Antoine.

His brow furrowing, Antoine studied the Smiling Bandit. This was the terrible and awesome Smiling Bandit? The Mobian he had heard about in the stories was supposed to be a giant, fearsome black beast with eyes as red as blazing coals, but this cream-colored dog with the spaniel-like light brown ears and light brown patches randomly splashed about on his fur didn't look like anything like that. That wasn't the only thing Antoine had heard either. It was said that the Smiling Bandit's great-great-grandfather had been a huge bear of a dog as well as a legendary general up in the Northern Territories, though this claim was doubted by some. After Robotnik took power, the Smiling Bandit became a Freedom Fighter, but prior to the coup d’état, he and a number of the Mobians under him, who were collectively known as the Maddogs, were known to be highwaymen who would hold up those traveling through the more desolate regions of the Northern Territories, though robbery wasn't the only crime they were known to have committed. It would seem that the Maddogs – or some of them at least -- were still keeping at their old careers. While there were those who still considered the Smiling Bandit to be nothing but a common criminal, others venerated him as a great hero. He was said to be charitable when it came to the poor and downtrodden, doling out money and such to those in need. His open defiance of Robotnik had only served to further catapult him to fame.

Antoine didn't know which if any of these tales were true and which were merely fabrication, but did find himself hard-pressed to have a favorable attitude towards a known criminal. Realizing that Bandit was talking to him, Antoine returned his attention to the dog.

"These guys are the Maddogs. Well, some of 'em anyways. Slipp, Bonehead, and Dag of course." As Bandit rattled off the name of each Maddog, he indicated the Yorkshire terrier, the Irish wolfhound, and Antoine's chief antagonist in turn.

Antoine gave the trio a suspicious glance. He was not sure if he wanted to be genial with Mobians who’d attempted to rob and then threatened him. In turn, the three didn't appear very pleased to see that their curiously underwhelming leader had taken such a keen interest in Antoine, Slipp and Dag especially. The latter's hazelnut eyes still simmered with anger whenever he looked Antoine's way. However, they held their tongues.

That was when Stormblaze finally arrived on the scene, spatha out and ready for battle. His sudden arrival startled Dag, Bonehead, and Slipp, who unleashed warning growls and went into defensive positions, prepared for a fight themselves. However, Bandit seemed completely unconcerned as he glanced from Stormblaze to Antoine. "This a friend of yours', Tony?"

Antoine raised a hand to stop Stormblaze. "Edward, it is being alright."

Stormblaze lowered his spatha, although he remained cautious as he regarded the four unfamiliar Mobians. "And you four gentlemen would be?..."

"Down, boys." Bandit commanded his cohorts. They relaxed, but just barely, as a trace of weariness still lingered about their persons.

"This is the Smiling Bandit, and those three are being the Maddogs." Antoine explained before looking to the four. "This is Edward Equinus. He is my mentor, and we are traveling together." By that point in time, Antoine had grown so used to using Stormblaze's alias in the presence of strangers that it had practically become second nature to him. Earlier on, there had been more than a few slipups when he would accidentally called Stormblaze by his true name, but thankfully, either no one seemed to have suspected that anything was amiss, or if they had, hadn't made much of a fuss about it.

"Look, I’m sorry for all the trouble. Why don't I make it up to you guys? You tired? You can come stay with us tonight. There's plenty of room and grub back at our place." Bandit offered, welcoming and amiable once more.

Antoine cast a questioning glance over at Stormblaze. A contemplative expression came over the disguised unicorn's face before his dark eyebrows shot up as though to say "Why not?"

Antoine supposed that if Stormblaze thought it was alright, then there was nothing wrong with accepting the offer. After all, Stormblaze was the empath, not him. Turning back to Bandit, he answered, "We will be taking your offer up, monsieur. But first, I want my sword back." His eyes hardened as he stared at Slipp.

Slipp was clearly vexed by the demand, but at a wave from Bandit, he grudgingly shuffled forward and held out the sabre with both hands. Antoine took the weapon back and carefully examined it. He was pleased to discover that it had not been damaged.

Antoine and Stormblaze then went back to their campsite to collect their gear. When they returned to the spot where the others were waiting for them, Bandit, flanked by his Maddogs, proceeded to lead the two to their base of operations. Slipp, who stood out as being the most hyperactive and impatient one of the lot, kept on running up ahead of the small group to scout before rejoining them. The one moment that neither Antoine nor Stormblaze really liked was when Bandit told them they had to be blindfolded at a certain point along the way. The thought of being potentially helpless in the Maddogs' clutches didn't sit well with them, but Bandit promised no harm would come to them. The blindfolding was only a safety precaution, he explained, as the Maddogs weren't sure if Antoine and Stormblaze could be trusted with the knowledge of where their headquarters was located.

When the two finally gave in and allowed themselves to be blindfolded, they braced themselves for the worst as the Maddogs now guided them the rest of the way. But the dogs were actually considerate and careful, warning of obstructions or the like on the path and leading them around them. Antoine could tell they were starting to head downhill, and moved even more cautiously for fear of losing his balance. After a while, he no longer heard the rustling of grass underfoot, and recognized the even smoothness of an artificial floor and the sounds of several pairs of feet, his own included, treading on a hard surface, concrete perhaps. The change in temperature – the air around them shifting from warm to cool – confirmed that the group had just entered a building.

When the blindfolds were finally removed, Antoine and Stormblaze found themselves inside what appeared to be an old military base of some sort. As far as Antoine could see, there were no windows, and everything was lit by artificial lighting. Slipp, Dag, and Bonehead left the three to themselves, going off together to some other part of the building.

As Bandit went onto explain, the Maddogs' hideout was a long abandoned underground military base located under an old Overlander junkyard. The Overlanders had actually done them a favor when they had turned a dusty, thirty-foot wide gulch in Carnia’s outlands into their dumping ground, Bandit said. The junkyard offered plenty of places for a Mobian to hide (the smaller species anyways), with the rusted remains of heavy machinery, vehicles, and other refuse. The junkyard proved to be useful in other ways as well, as the scrap there that was still some good could be salvaged, repaired, or used in the creation of new machines and the like, not only by the Maddogs but other resourceful individuals as well.

As Bandit led Antoine and Stormblaze through the base, he casually engaged them in conversation about themselves - where they had come from, who their allegiance lay with, and so on. The last thing Antoine wanted to discuss at that moment was Sonic and the other Knothole Freedom Fighters, so he merely told Bandit that he was born in Mercia but had lived in Northhamer for half of his life. But since Bandit had demonstrated earlier that he knew of General D'Coolette, it was safe to assume that he might have also guessed Antoine’s connection to Sally and Sonic. After all, even though eleven years had gone by since the dethronement of King Maximilian, they and the more eminent members of their court like Antoine's father hadn't left the memories of a number of Mobians, especially those on the Continent. And unless one lived under a rock, everybody knew that Sally was Maximilian and Queen Alicia’s youngest child.

Antoine started to notice that whenever he and Stormblaze would ask Bandit about the Maddogs or himself, he would only offer vague answers in return. This made Antoine rather suspicious, but Stormblaze seemed unconcerned. Gradually, Antoine began to relax himself, figuring that Bandit was just trying to determine whether they could be trusted or not.

The sound of voices raised in anger and protest interrupted their stroll, causing the three to search for the source of the racket. They found it nearby. Two dogs, a male and a female, stood facing one another. Judging by the tense, stiff posture of the female, it would seem they were the ones bickering, only it really wasn't much of an argument since she was the one doing most of the talking. The lady in question was a long-legged pharaoh hound. Her deep blue eyes contrasted with the midnight black color of her fur and the fine white shawl draped around her shoulders.

The other canine, who was protectively clutching a guitar to his chest, was a gangly, odd-looking fellow wearing a fringed brown vest over a long-sleeved purple shirt. A shaggy thatch of unruly white fur crowned his head. His headfur was long enough to where it obscured much of his face, save for his long muzzle. Profuse white fur also covered his wrists and ankles, and there was a white tuft on the end of his tail. Otherwise, he had no fur, Antoine realized with shock. Just bare golden-tan-colored skin blotched with patches that were a yellow-orange, almost amber hue. Antoine knew that staring was rude, but he had never seen someone missing such large amounts of fur before. Had something terrible happened to him? A nudge from Stormblaze reminded Antoine of his manners, and he turned his gaze elsewhere. Thankfully, the guitarist was too preoccupied to notice his staring. But as Antoine would later learn, the guitar player was a breed of dog referred to as a Chinese crested, and most of them were naturally born hairless.

"I refuse to tolerate your senseless caterwauling any longer! Cease this noise, or else!" The pharaoh hound was saying.

Though he hadn't said much, to his credit the hapless Chinese crested dog showed no signs of backing down.

Bandit rushed over to the duo. "Hey, time out you two! Hey!" He said the second 'hey' a little more sharply when the pharaoh hound didn't immediately acknowledge his presence, only continuing to stare harshly at the Chinese crested instead. "Now what's going on?"

The pharaoh hound pointed one long finger at the other dog. "I demand you tell him to quit playing that guitar of his at all hours of the night!"

"Bandit man, I don't want no trouble from anybody, but you know me. When the muse strikes, I haveta play, you dig?" The Chinese crested dog pleaded.

"Trip, it's not as if we don't enjoy your music, because we do -" The hound rolled her eyes at that, but said nothing "- but you gotta take into consideration the fact that some folks might not want a concert at 2:00 at night. If you wanna play, why not go outside? It's a real nice night out."

Trip rubbed his chin, contemplating his leader's suggestion. "Well… Mother Nature is good for providing inspirational vibes for, like, art and stuff... Okay!"

Bandit grinned at that. "Before you two go, I want to introduce you to Antoine D'Coolette and Edward Equinus. Boys, the lovely lady here is Anubia, and this is Trip. He's like our… troubadour or something." He laughed a little at that, but in a good-natured fashion rather than a mean or derisive one.

By then Anubia appeared to have calmed down significantly. She was studying the two newcomers expressionlessly, her large bat-like ears aimed straight at them, signifying her interest. To Antoine, it felt like she was seeing straight through him and looking at his soul. Both he and Stormblaze noticed right away that she was dripping with jewelry. A heavy gold necklace adorned her neck, while thin golden hoops hung from each ear and gold and turquoise bracelets encircled each of her delicate ankles. Antoine marveled at her boldness to run around with such finery in the midst of a gang of criminals.

"Peace be upon you, my friends," Anubia said in a soft voice, extending a slender hand out towards Stormblaze and Antoine, face calmly expectant. Neither of them could quite place her exotic accent.

"Milady." Taking hold of her extended hand, Stormblaze shook it.

It took all of Antoine's willpower to prevent himself from visibly expressing his embarrassment as he watched them stiffly shake hands. That was not the proper way to greet a lady. Why hadn't Stormblaze greeted her in the same stately fashion that he had greeted Lupe?

Eager to make up for Stormblaze's faux pas, Antoine stepped out in front of his friend, and stooping, took Anubia's hand in his and gently kissed the back of it. "It is being both an honor and a pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle."

His gesture obviously pleased her more than Stormblaze's, for she rewarded him with a serene smile. "The pleasure is all mine's."

That was when Trip suddenly broke in, a friendly smile curling the corners of his muzzle. "Hey brothers, what's happening? Welcome to the grooviest pad on Mobius!" A surprised Antoine suddenly found Trip's long thin arms wrapped around him as the musician warmly hugged him. Trip then moved to embrace Stormblaze, but stopped when he realized that his height wasn't going to allow him to be able to properly hug the unicorn. While at first taken aback by Trip's exceptional friendliness, Stormblaze finally chose to oblige him by bending down so that Trip could reach him, although one could tell that he found the whole exchange awkward.

"Um… what is being a 'groovious pad'?" Antoine asked, stretching out his pronunciation of the unfamiliar word. Stormblaze looked about as mystified by Trip's use of slang as Antoine did.

"Grooviest, man! It's real groovy here! You know - cool, psychedelic, a blast?" Antoine and Stormblaze exchanged baffled looks and shrugged, earning an incredulous headshake from Trip. "Man, where you two dudes from?"

"Groovy just means that something's good, is all." Bandit clarified for Antoine and Stormblaze's benefit.

Anubia sniffed haughtily. "As fascinating as this discussion has been, I am afraid I must take my leave and return to my mediations." She returned her piercing gaze to Antoine and Stormblaze once more. "We will be seeing each other again, gentlemen."

"Guess I should be splitting too. I got music to make." Giving a wave and a broad grin at the three, Trip left, lugging his guitar with him.

"Well, that was… interesting." Stormblaze remarked when Anubia and Trip had both gone.

"Don't let first impressions throw you off," Bandit reassured him. "They're not as off-kilter as they seem, and we wouldn't be the same without them around.

As Antoine and Stormblaze's tour resumed, they chanced upon six canines, a mixture of both wild and domestic types, grouped around a card table in the midst of playing some sort of card game. Every few minutes, the gathering would erupt into raucous laughter and loud, excited chatter. A red fox vixen appeared to be presiding over the game. When she noticed Bandit standing there with Antoine and Stormblaze, she approached them, her long creamy white-tipped tail flowing behind her as she did. The vixen's silky pelt was a ruby red sort of color, and she had maroon headfur which reached down to her neck.

"This the kit who caught Slipp and mouthed off to Dag and Bonehead?" She casually asked Bandit, crossing her arms over one another as she gave Antoine the once-over. She wore an orange and white bodysuit, along with long white gloves and orange boots that were outlined in white at the bottom.

Bandit nodded. "This him. Tony, say hello to my second-in-command, Fiona Fox. The big fella here is Eddie." He indicated Stormblaze with a jerk of his thumb.

Antoine bowed to Fiona before kissing her hand, just as he had done with Anubia. "Bonjour, mademoiselle. It is being a pleasure to meet you."

Fiona didn't reply right away, Antoine's greeting taking her by surprise. Seeing her wide-eyed face, Bandit threw his head back and laughed. "Oh boy! Keep this up Romeo, and you're gonna have every chick here eating out of the palm of your hand!"

Fiona presented Antoine with an appreciative smirk before glancing over at her leader. "Hey, don't be jealous just because he knows how to treat a lady."

Bandit smirked right back. "Who says I'm jealous, Fee? I'm just giving the pup props on his game."

As he listened to the two of them go back and forth, Antoine arrived at the conclusion that natives of the Great Continent just naturally tended to have very peculiar styles of speech. He decided he would ask Bandit in private later what he meant by giving him "props on his game" and would just take it as a compliment for now.

Unlike Antoine, the "big fella" was content to shake hands with Fiona, further acknowledging her with an inclination of his head. "Madame." While Stormblaze didn't exactly shun the idea of greeting someone in a courtly manner, particularly if he felt the other Mobian was worthy of such respect, it was also something he needed to be in the mood to do. Being woken up in the middle of the night had put a bit of a damper on the disguised unicorn's mood – even though he could forestall sleeping for a while if he needed to, he liked his shut-eye just as much as any normal person did. He was also trying to figure out whether Antoine's behavior was amusing or annoying. Was he planning to kiss the hand of every single female he encountered tonight? Perhaps instead of being irritated, he should follow Bandit's lead and give Antoine kudos for managing to charm these ladies.

"If you are not minding mes asking, how are you hearing about what happened between Dag and myself already?" Antoine was asking Fiona.

"Heard it from Bonehead just a couple of minutes ago. I wondered why Slipp and Dag came through here looking like something had bit them in their tails. Don’t worry about Dag. His bark's worse than his bite." The redhead laughed at her own joke.

"Oh, he is not concerning moi." Antoine offhandedly replied with a sniff of his own.

"Their egos are just bruised is all." Bandit said. "Slipp has a rep as one of the best thieves and pickpockets around these parts, and Dag is… well, I'll just let you guess what he's known for. I've known Slipp since we were both pups. The little guy's got some insanely light fingers. I've seen him pull off tricks that a whole lot of other thieves wouldn't be able to. The fact you even knew he there at your camp at all is… well, pretty amazing." He shook his head in disbelief.

As she listened to Bandit, Fiona turned back to Antoine, scrutinizing him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Did you smell him or hear him or something?"

"Well… I was asleep when I heard noises outside the tent. So I was getting up and looking outside, and that was when I saw him with my knapsack." Antoine replied. If the Maddogs were making such a fuss over the fact that he had detected Slipp's presence just by simply hearing him moving about, then perhaps Stormblaze had been right about his sense of hearing being special. Maybe he should quit viewing it as a burden and abnormality and start looking at it as a gift.

"Oh, modest and a charmer," Fiona laughed, inciting a flush of self-consciousness from Antoine. "I think some of our guys can learn a thing or two from him."

"Maybe," Bandit said with a chuckle, noticing Antoine's embarrassment. "C'mon you two. See ya in a little bit, Fee."

Having just made Fiona's acquaintance, Antoine and Stormblaze went onto meet the other Maddogs (those who were still awake at that time anyways) and learn their names: Illya, Redd Rover, Rue, Suki, Oskar, Blizzard, Bridget, Barkerville, Lem, Clem, and Bando. An individual named Juniper was also mentioned, but Bandit explained she was out gathering medicinal herbs at the time. Those who weren't awake were either elderly individuals or very young children, a number of whom were orphans the group had taken into its care.

Meeting so many new faces all in one night had Antoine's head still spinning when he settled into bed about half an hour later. He and Stormblaze had been given a room to share for the night. It was one of several located along the hallway in this particular part of the base. So far, they hadn't seen any other species around aside from assorted breeds and species of canines. Antoine found this somewhat unusual, but interesting. As far as he could tell, the Maddogs didn't appear to have any problems with Mobians who weren't canines, as they appeared to be perfectly fine with Stormblaze's presence there, so why their numbers were totally comprised of dogs was something of a mystery to him. But he found the diversity of the different types of canines to be a source of fascination. Antoine had never realized just how many different varieties of dogs there really were in the world.  
________________________________________

As Antoine shambled out of his spare room and down the hallway, scratching at his side, he thought that it might have been close to morning, but wasn't absolutely certain about that. He had yet to spot a clock anywhere around. Still trying to combat the effects of sleep, Antoine failed to notice that he was about to literally run into a new face.

To his right, a door was abruptly swung open, catching Antoine off-guard and knocking him flat on his backside as well causing his entire world to explode in pain. He was wide awake now. Clutching the front of his muzzle, which, due to its prominence, had been hit full-force by the door, Antoine grit his teeth and silently rocked forward and back in agony.

His eyes, which were tightly squeezed shut, opened to see a pair of big brown eyes framed by thick, dark reddish-brown lashes staring back at him. It took a few minutes for him to realize that the eyes belonged to a dog. He wasn't sure of her breeding, but her fairly long black-tipped ears, which were covered in long fur which had a slight wave to it, suggested she was some sort of spaniel-type dog. It was then that he became aware of a stream of upset chatter coming from her.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Are you okay? I am so sorry! You have no idea how sorry I am!" The spaniel-mix fretted as she stared at Antoine, panic etched on her face.

Seeing the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Antoine quit moving and lowered his hands. He never liked seeing females cry. "Please do not fret, mademoiselle. I think I will be alright." He cringed at how funny his voice sounded in his own ears. Suppose he had broken it? Why did it seem like he was always hurting his muzzle?

"I'm getting you to the doc's. Come on." The girl firmly told him. Grasping Antoine by the arm, she carefully helped him to stand before leading him in the opposite direction of where he had initially come. Down the hall they went, turning the corner and then taking another turn until the spaniel-mix finally stopped outside one particular office door. Opening it, she hustled Antoine inside before and shut it behind them.

This room was twice as big as Antoine and Stormblaze's was, with another section that was out of sight, hidden by the edge of a large cabinet section. It included the addition of an examination table in the center of the room, a bookshelf, and a sink. The room was decorated in a style intended to give it a cozy, folksy feel. The walls were painted baby blue. A rug decorated with a geometric pattern of dark red, white, black, and earth brown lines was spread out on the floor, and a sky blue flower pot which contained a cluster of vibrant yellow daisies rested atop a small coffee table along with a couple of ratty old magazines.

Antoine hadn't paid a great deal of attention to the spaniel prior to being led to the doctor's, but now he noticed that her fur was white with some splashes of burnt orange interspersed here and there. She was clothed in blue denim overalls that looked like they had seen better days, and a pink and white paisley-patterned scarf was tied around her head, leaving her thickly furred ears free. In spite of her tomboyishness, she was rather cute.

"Juniper!" The dog was calling out. "You in here?"

"Bridget? What's wrong?"A feminine voice answered back, its owner hidden behind the cabinet section.

Bridget? That name rang a bell in Antoine's head. He and the spaniel girl had been introduced earlier by Bandit, but she had been preoccupied working on one of the air conditioning units and hadn't even bothered turning around to face him, much less acknowledged him. Needless to say, the incident had left Antoine greatly peeved.

When Juniper stepped into sight from around the partition wall, she immediately captured Antoine's attention, even making him momentarily forget about his nose. She was a coyote, garbed in an indigo vest, a concho belt ornamented with small ornamental silver disks, dark brown beads, and polished turquoise stones, and brown sandals. Her striking coat was mostly toffee in color, with a blend of cream and ginger covering her face and underside. Patterns of smoky gray and black shaded her arms, the back of her neck, and the dorsal area of her tail. Her headfur was black and shoulder-length, and a headband dyed in a bold pattern of red, earth brown, and indigo geometric designs kept her cropped bangs out of her eyes.

Since coming to live in Knothole, Antoine had seen very few coyotes around, not counting the odd unfortunate roboticized one he and the other Freedom Fighters would spot on rare occasions, so he was rather startled to actually meet a coyote in the literal flesh. As they did make up half of his family tree, he had always been interested in meeting them. Even better, this coyote just so happened to be a gorgeous girl!

"I, uh, might've accidentally hit this guy in the face when he was walking past my bedroom and I opened the door at the same time." A shamefaced Bridget explained, casting a guilty glance over at Antoine from the corner of her eye as she clasped her hands behind her back and stared down at her feet.

Scrunching her muzzle up, Juniper frowned a bit. "Ouch. Well, let's get a good look at you then." Coming closer, she started to examine Antoine, first carefully turning his head one way and then the other to study his muzzle from different angles. Taking a penlight out from her vest pocket, Juniper switches it on with a click and proceeded to shine the small beam of light inside his nasal cavity as she peered into it. Antoine barely registered any of this, only continuing to dreamily regard her before snapping back to reality when she carefully pressed on his muzzle with her slender fingers, causing him to flinch.

"That hurts!"

Sighing, Juniper stepped back and shook her head slightly. "It's worse than I thought. I'll have to operate."

Both Antoine and Bridget's eyes practically bulged out of their heads. "What?"

Juniper hastily motioned for them to calm down. "Kidding, kidding! It was just a bit of medical humor, that's all!"

Bridget shot Juniper a look of exasperation. "And you say I need to censor myself sometimes?"

Juniper could only grin sheepishly at that. "Aw, I'm only a healer anyways, not a surgeon. Anyways, your muzzle doesn't seem to be fractured thankfully, but it does look bruised." She told Antoine. "Here," Going back around the partition, Juniper returned after a moment with a cold compress, which she handed to Antoine. "Keep this on your nose until the swelling goes down. I'll give you some herbs to help with the pain too."

"Merci beau coup." Antoine really wished that he and Juniper could have met under better circumstances. It just seemed like anytime he was around girls, something humiliating would happen to him. Antoine offered the pair a shy grin, suddenly feeling both very self-conscious as well as very embarrassed by his brazen gawking, especially earlier. "I apologize mademoiselles, I am forgetting mes minors. Er, manners!" In his growing mortification and frustration, he bit his lower lip. 'Alright Antoine, stop, calm down, and think.' He mentally ordered himself. His situation wasn't helped any by how he sounded. 'My voice sounds about as awful as Snively's!'

An amused smile tugged at the corners of Juniper's mouth, though she didn't say a thing. Bridget seemed somewhat puzzled by Antoine's sudden loss of composure, but was making an attempt to remain polite. To Antoine's great relief, they didn't seem to be repelled or annoyed by him.

Exhaling slowly, Antoine attempted to speak again, trying his hardest to ignore the nasally sound of his own voice. "Pardon moi. I am Antoine D'Coolette." As he introduced himself, he performed his best gentlemanly bow. "C'est un plaisir de te rencontrer."

"Juniper Thundercub." Juniper held her right hand out, expecting a handshake, but let out a giggle of delighted surprise when Antoine took her hand and chastely kissed it instead. "Wow, you're really quite the gentleman!" She commented as he went on to carry out the same greeting with Bridget.

Bridget's expression brightened, and she was eyeing Antoine with a newfound fascination. "Oh yeah, we met earlier, didn't we? Sorry I didn't pay you much mind then. I tend to kinda zone out while I'm working. I like your fancy talk there. Where you from?"

"Mercia, mademoiselle Bridget."

"Ooo, Mercia, huh? My atlas calls it a 'beacon of old world culture'." Bridget seemed rather proud of herself for knowing that bit of information. "So, you a new recruit?"

"No. Bandit was inviting moi and my friend here. We are just staying for the night..." Antoine trailed off as he realized that leaving was the last thing he wanted to do now. "… But since I am having nothing of importance to do, I think we might be staying a while."

"Hey, the more the merrier." Juniper said, going over to the counter and getting up on a step ladder so she could reach one of the cabinet doors. Opening it, she began rummaging through the rows of glass jars lining the shelves. "Forgive me for saying this, but I never knew there were coyotes in Mercia." Finding the jar she was looking for, she grabbed it and climbed back down, then found a measuring spoon and went to work scooping out some of the ground medicinal herbs within the jar.

"Oh, there are indeed, mademoiselle. But, ah… actually, my mother is being a poodle. My father is a coyote." Antoine didn't know how the girls would react to his revelation. Depending on where one went, mixed-species marriages on Mobius were either accepted, tolerated, or outright frowned upon. He had never been ashamed of his heritage, and as the Mobians of the Kingdoms of Acorn and Mercia were largely an open-minded lot, Antoine had faced surprisingly little ridicule for being the product of a mixed-species marriage.

Juniper's response was a simple "Oh." It was as if he had told her that the sky was blue or ice was cold. "Well, I've never met a Mercian coydog then." She corrected herself with a smile. Having measured out the proper dosage of herbs, she filled a small plastic bottle with them, sealed it, and pitched it to Antoine, who caught it in his hands. "Here. Mix a pinch with something like tea or water, and drink a glass every day for an entire week."

Antoine nodded his thanks to her. "Er… How much longer am I to be sounding like this?"

"Well, as your nose heals, your voice should return to normal in a couple of days too. But if not, come and see me, alright?"

"Oui, mademoiselle. Well, I will see you ladies around then." Antoine said, attempting to sound as suave as possible, but his nasally voice made that rather difficult. He bowed to them, earning smiles and good-byes from the girls before he left the office.

'Just wait until I tell Stormblaze about this!' A completely elated Antoine thought. Before walking off, he took a quick look around to make sure he was all alone out in the hallway. Seeing he was, he performed a spritely little jig before unassumingly resuming his normal manner of walking.  
________________________________________

The rest of Antoine's night was peaceful and undisturbed. He seemed to sleep better then before, though whether this was because of the medicine Juniper had given him or because things finally seemed to be going right for him for once he couldn't say.

Antoine was grateful that he was allowed to sleep in late that morning. Even Stormblaze, who was typically an early riser by nature, had chosen to sleep in. The Maddogs really didn't seem to have a set schedule for the day like the Wolf Pack did. Breakfast was still sitting out when Stormblaze and Antoine entered the kitchen, kept heated by food warmer candles. Apparently the cooks had anticipated some late risers.

As the two of them ate together in a section of the building called the Commons, they were surprised when Slipp skittered up to them in his usual twitchy fashion. "Bandit wants to see you two tonight – it's very important! Be to Room 406 by 6:00 pm!" He was gone before either of them could inquire as to what Bandit wanted with them. But the incident did give Antoine the opportunity he needed to approach Stormblaze about staying on with the Maddogs for a little while longer. He didn't want to come on out and say he wished to do so in order to get to know their lovely doctor a little better. He and Stormblaze had loitered about with the Wolf Pack after all, so Antoine didn't see any problems in spending a bit more time in Carnia either. He hadn't forgotten they had to find the Deep Power Stones, but really, what harm could stopping over for a few more days cause?

"You know, I believe that we should be staying over for another day." Antoine nonchalantly suggested after taking a sip of his orange juice.

This suggestion was met by a stunned stare from Stormblaze. “Stay a second day? Antoine, I do not believe that we should linger here any longer then necessary."

"But is it not seeming like they are needing help? You heard Slipp! How can we be turning our backs on those in need?"

Stormblaze considered Antoine closely. His words sounded sincere, and yet there seemed to be something more to them that he wasn't letting on to. Finally he sighed. "You win. But please remember that we have a quest to complete."

Pleased to have won the debate, Antoine smiled. "Certainly."

Suddenly, Stormblaze stared more closely at Antoine, frowning slightly. "Something the matter with your nose?"

Antoine quickly looked up from his plate, an expression of near-panic on his face. "Something like what? Is it looking bigger? Crooked?"

"Er, well… it does appear to be a little… inflamed. But 'tis hardly noticeable. Really." Stormblaze hastily reassured him. "Shall I heal it for you?"

Antoine shook his head, reflexively rubbing his muzzle as he did. "Pas, pas… it, uh, might be looking auspicious for mon nose to just suddenly be healed, no?"

"That's 'suspicious', not auspicious. And I suppose you’re right. So what happened anyways?"

"I was getting up find the washroom last night, and I ran into a door just when somebody was opening it."

"You would seem to have a nose for trouble, little wolf." Stormblaze said, his dead serious expression at odds with his witticism.

The pun merely elicited an eye roll from Antoine. "Oh, that was being so funny I was forgetting to laugh."  
________________________________________

It was exactly 6:00 pm on the dot when Antoine and Stormblaze found the room Slipp had told them to come to. As they opened the door, they saw that its interior resembled an office. A small handful of Maddogs were sitting around a table, with Bandit standing at its head. Sitting in front of him on the table was a metallic-gray image projector sphere. Fiona, a boxer named Suki, and the borzoi Illya were obviously surprised to see Antoine and Stormblaze there. Slipp was unfazed, sitting beside Bandit and actually being still for a change. Anubia remained as aloof as ever, favoring the newcomers with a glance before returning her attention to Bandit.

Flashing Antoine and Stormblaze a big grin, Bandit gestured for them to have a seat. "Hey boys, you made it! So now that the gang's all here, let’s get this party started. Now, word’s just come in from one of our contacts that Dr. Herdwick was arrested by the secret police yesterday morning and taken to Carnia Penitentiary on the charge of – and I quote –' suspicion of fraternizing with domestic terrorists'. I don't know about the rest of you mutts, but if not bowing down to some fat egotistical Overlander with a robot fetish makes me a domestic terrorist, then brother, I am a proud domestic terrorist!" There was laughter and even a few shouts of approval from his audience, namely Fiona, Illya, and Slipp. Patiently Bandit waited for the hubbub to die down before speaking again.

"Anyways, as most of you well know, the doc's been a trusted friend and ally of ours’ for years, so I want to bust him out. Any comments or questions so far?" Receiving shakes of the head from his audience, he went on ahead and activated the projector. The high-tech device threw up the holographic image of a three-dimensional map of the interior of a large building. "Good. This here is Carnia Penitentiary. Now for those of you unfamiliar with our wonderful local correctional facility, the place is old, and most importantly, they really haven't bothered to upgrade their security from barbed wire, Tasmanian devils, and watchtowers manned by armed guard. My plan is this: Anubia will get us inside by casting an illusion that'll make us look like guards. Thanks to my man Slipp here, we open Cecil's cell with this." He held up a key for everyone to see before looking to Antoine and Stormblaze.

"I thought the abilities the both of you have would come in handy helping us evade detection or fighting if necessary. But you two aren't part of the pack, so you have the option of not participating. If you don't want to come, then I can't make you. We'll understand if that's your choice."

"Of course we will join you and your team in this task!" Antoine enthusiastically replied. "We would not be following the knight's code if we did not!"

Stormblaze merely nodded his consent. While he did feel bad for this Herdwick fellow, another more personal motive he had for joining the rescue party was to keep an eye on Antoine and make sure he didn't get himself or anyone else into trouble.

"Good deal, Romeo," Reaching over, Bandit gave Antoine's arm a playful punch. “Now I need the both of you to know that while we’re out there, you've gotta follow my orders at all times. We're not going there to pick a fight, we're rescuing a friend." Arising from his chair, his dark brown eyes roved around the room. "Alright guys, go get whatever gear you think you're gonna need. We need to get moving."

As Antoine and Stormblaze went to retrieve their respective armaments from their room, Stormblaze muttered to Antoine, "Why invite us along? He hardly even knows us."

"Perhaps he is just recognizing talent when he sees it?" Antoine replied, smirking slightly. While Stormblaze's question was valid, Antoine felt that a dangerous mission to free an unjustly imprisoned Mobian was just what he needed right now. It would be a practice run of sorts for when the time came when he and Stormblaze finally went up against the Order of Ixis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> **Author's Notes:** Yep, it's Fiona Fox. I’m not sure what people will make of my take on her for my story-verse, but I hope it's interesting at least.  
>  French translations:  
> C'est un plaisir de te rencontrer: It is a pleasure to meet you.


	11. Chapter 11

When Antoine and Stormblaze, both now equipped with their respective weaponry, returned to the spot where the four Maddogs who’d been selected for the mission to Carnia Penitentiary were gathered, they were greeted by the sight of Suki and Illya in the process of loading small handguns. Even Fiona carried a gun on her person, and as it turned out, so did Bandit.

At the sight of the firearms, Antoine's eyes went wide. "Guns?" Many Mobians, including just about all of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, frowned upon them (although Sally's bunch made an exception for the specialized guns Rotor would create, but personally Antoine couldn't quite see a difference), considering them not only dangerous but the weapon of choice for the dishonorable and cowardly. It was often said that Overlanders liked firearms so much because they lacked the natural weaponry and abilities that Mobians and other species possessed and therefore wanted something to compensate for their weakness.

"Just for a bit of extra protection." Bandit explained, seeing the look on Antoine's face.

At his side, Antoine heard Stormblaze give a snort that, if he didn't know any better, sounded contemptuous, though he said nothing. He correctly guessed that Stormblaze didn't think very highly of guns either.

But no one else seemed perturbed by the weapons, only calmly standing around as they waited to go instead, and Suki merely grunted. With her athletic yet sleek physique and the squarish muzzle that was characteristic of her breed (being female though, Suki's muzzle was slightly daintier in form then that of a male boxer's), Suki was tough and bold, quick to use her words – or fists - in the defense of others. Typically though, the boxer didn't resort to fisticuffs unless necessary. One stern look from her was usually enough to cow most Mobians.

"Hey pup, we ain't about to go on no picnic," She gruffly addressed Antoine. "Some of us don't have magic or fast hedgehogs to do our work for us."

Pinning his ears back, Antoine indignantly glared at Suki. Her implication that Sonic was solely responsible for the Knothole Freedom Fighters' victories against Robotnik was highly insulting. As loathe as Antoine was to admit it, Sonic played his part of course, and yes, compared to him, Antoine hadn't contributed nearly as much, but it was still team effort that helped to win the day – between Sonic, Sally, Bunnie, Rotor, and Dulcy anyways.

He started to fire back a sharp retort when Bandit jumped into the exchange. "Now having standards are all well and good Tony, but this is war. It's either kill or be killed out there, and brother, nothing gets the job done quicker then hot lead."

"You don't have to use a gun if you don't want to/" Fiona piped up. "After all, you must carry that frog sticker around for a reason." She pointed to Antoine's sabre.

Antoine fondly patted the gilded basket hilt of his sword. "Oui. All I need is mon blade." He proudly replied.  
________________________________________

Antoine quietly watched as one of the prison guards, a German shepherd, approached him, Bandit, Fiona, Slipp, Illya, and Anubia. Bandit and Anubia stood at the forefront of the small group, appearing completely at ease. Stormblaze and Suki had been instructed to remain outside to serve as backup. Suki had been given an ear piece which would allow her and Bandit to communicate back and forth with one another. At a certain point, Bandit would contact her and give her the signal to create a distraction outside so that the group on the inside could make their escape.

Bandit and Anubia were posing as guards who were delivering some new prisoners. Previously, the pharaoh hound had instructed her teammates to keep their arms in front of them and try to give off the impression of being prisoners – it would help the illusion along, she said. Antoine couldn't help but think that with the oppressive atmosphere surrounding them, pretending to be prisoners wouldn't be a problem.

In person, the gray brick penitentiary dominated the landscape around it, standing four stories high. It was circled by a wide moat that was thirty feet at its deepest point. It had been a nerve-racking experience marching right into the prison past its watchtowers as well as all of the guards patrolling the premises, dour-looking Mobians whose drab gray and dark blue uniforms added to the overall intimidation factor the place had.

The guard didn't raise the alarm, or eagerly race forward to arrest the six canines, but only waited to see what Bandit had to say instead. Looking serious for once, Bandit gave them the story he and the others had concocted and spent time rehearsing repeatedly: he and his "partner" were bringing in four new prisoners accused of property theft.

Favoring the four "prisoners" with a cursory if rather bored glance, the guard replied, "Take 'em on down to cellblock A-16."

Antoine was still shocked at how well Anubia's illusion spell was working. As it turned out, she was a magician. As she had informed Antoine and Stormblaze earlier, she’d been trained from puphood in the mystical arts in the far-flung arid land of Kemia, the kingdom of her birth. Antoine had curiously observed as Anubia wove her spell over him, Bandit, Illya, Fiona, Slipp, and herself. When she finally finished reciting the last of the eldritch words, neither Antoine nor the Maddogs appeared any different from how they’d looked before. But to those within the prison, they simply appeared to be guards with a few prisoners in tow. Magic was truly a remarkable thing.

The trek to the penitentiary had taken the motley group about two hours, which was why Bandit had been so eager to leave. On the way there, Antoine and Stormblaze had inquired as to who Carnia's subboss was ('subboss' was a formal title for the underlings Robotnik employed to oversee the areas he controlled) and had gotten an earful as a result. He was a longhair cat named Kasimir Fela. One of two sons of Carnia's former mayor, who had been a generous and considerate leader, he didn't take his brother's victory over him in the polls very well when both ran for the mayoral seat. Kasimir went to Robotnik, pledging his services and loyalty to him if he helped him toss his brother out of office and installed him as mayor instead. Robotnik agreed, and, after ousting the properly elected mayor, he roboticized him. According to rumors, Kasimir hadn't shed a single tear for his brother.

Unlike his relations, Kasimir was an arrogant male more interested in wealth and personal power then improving the lives of Carnia's citizenry, and relied on the corrupt police force and a contingent of robots given to him by Robotnik to carry out his dirty work and enforce his will. Seeing the threat Kasimir posed to not just their livelihoods but their very wellbeing, Bandit and several surviving members of his gang had officially formed the Maddogs not long after Kasimir's rise to power. They accepted regular civilians into their ranks, just as long as they either had skills that could be useful or were fast learners who could be trained. The Maddogs regularly harassed Kasimir's forces, and he’d developed a special hatred for Bandit especially after Bandit had personally broken into his house and made off with a number of valuables.

Thanks to the previous times he’d spent incarcerated there, Bandit knew exactly where they were going. Nodding his thanks to the guard, Bandit led the group out of the lobby and down one of the corridors which would take them to where the cellblocks were. Occasionally, a guard or two would pass them by. Many of them nodded to Bandit and Anubia in acknowledgement, but otherwise left them alone. The only things they had to really worry about were security cameras, due to the fact that they could reveal the Freedom Fighters for who they really were, but for the most part they could be easily bypassed.

"Ah, good old cellblock A-16," Bandit quietly said when he was certain no guards were lurking about and it was just them in the hall. He sounded like he was reminiscing about an especially memorable sports event or something. "Remember it, Illya?"

Laughing harshly, the tall borzoi replied in his Russian accented English, "Like it was yesterday."

"How many times have the both of you been imprisoned here?" Antoine asked, curiously regarding Illya, who walked alongside him.

"Bandit? Oh, about two, three times before Kasimir took over. For me, twice, give or take. But no prison is a match for Illya Borzáya!" He proudly thumped his chest with a fist.

"Wonder if they were ever able to get the scorch marks off the walls of your cell?" Bandit laughed.

Fiona cleared her throat to get the pair's attention. "As much as I hate to interrupt this little trip down memory lane, mission at hand, remember?" She looked and sounded more than a little tense. Not surprising, given the situation.

After that, for the most part everyone fell silent except a moment when Bandit contacted Suki and told her to proceed with the distraction. Finally, after taking a right down another corridor, the group located the cellblock they were looking for. It resembled a long hallway, but was wider than the other halls had been, and metal doors lined each side. Antoine and the Maddogs split up to find Dr. Herdwick. With the exception of Illya, they were forced to give one another boosts so that they could peek into the little door slots that were the only way of seeing inside the cell. As the canines worked, they could hear all sorts of sounds coming from the cells made by those locked up inside them. As his sense of hearing was sharper than everyone else’s, the noises made Antoine uncomfortable, as did seeing the inmates confined within the tiny, dingy cells, but he steeled himself and pressed on without complaint. Still though, he couldn't imagine being imprisoned in such a miserable place and being unable to leave.

It took a little while longer, but it was Bandit who finally located Dr. Herdwick in a cell located on the right side of the cellblock, down the very end of the row. Using the key Slipp had gotten made for him, Bandit unlocked the cell door and pushed it open. Inside, a bespectacled ram was sitting on a wall-mounted bench, hoof-like fingers entwined together. Seeing the Mobians gathered outside, he somehow appeared to go even paler beneath his already white wool.

Bandit addressed the nervous sheep. "Doc, it's me, Bandit! The gang’s here with me. The only reason we look like this is because of a spell."

Dr. Herdwick's shoulders quivered a moment before finally slumping, and he released a great sigh. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you!"

Before anyone could say anything else, Anubia announced in a low but clear voice, "I am afraid that now I must drop the illusion."

After her announcement, there were no noticeable signs that the illusion was actually gone, but Dr. Herdwick, who had stepped out of his cell, adjusted his spectacles and blinked dazedly, staring at the younger Mobians. "By George, it really is you!"

"Fine time for this to happen, Nubes," Fiona dryly commented, fingering her pistol and casting leery glances around them as if she expected guards to just appear out of nowhere.

Anubia shot a peeved look in the fox's direction. "The spell only lasts a certain amount of time, and the more Mobians it affects, the shorter that length of time is. Which I believe I mentioned -"

"It's okay," Bandit cut in. "We got the hard part out of the way. Now we just need to get out of here. Come on."

Antoine, the Maddogs, and Dr. Herdwick all ran after Bandit. All of them knew that if even a single guard caught wind of their presence, things would likely not end well for them. They were on enemy turf, outnumbered and outgunned by their armed foes. Antoine felt alert, but not as anxious as he was when they had first arrived, or even like his old self would have been in such a situation. For him, it was a quite satisfying sensation to not want to hide behind somebody else. He felt ready for anything.

He stopped and froze, staring ahead. Before them, the hall branched off into two separate directions. "Wait!" He hissed, causing everyone to stop and look back.

"Why?" Slipp demanded.

"Somebody is coming!" Antoine pointed down the hall.

Fear and agitation (and in Antoine's case, anticipation) swept through the group like wildfire. All eyes turned to Bandit, wordlessly asking the same question. Bandit gestured for them to stand back against the walls and wait.

They didn't have to wait long. As the guard, this one a beaver, came around the left-hand corner of the hallway, he was quick to notice two things. First, the hall wasn't as empty as he first thought. Secondly, he was being attacked.

Being much faster than the beaver or even most of his teammates, Illya was the first to reach him, catching the rodent with a right to the jaw that knocked him to the ground. Antoine was hot on his heels, and with his aid, Illya pinned the guard there. The startled guard struggled against his attackers and tried calling for help, but a rap to his head courtesy of the butt of Fiona's pistol left him out cold.

Bandit found the guard's radio, which he lost during the confrontation. "Good job, guys!" He congratulated his men as he came to stand over the downed beaver. "Let's take him back this way, I got a little idea. Hold this a minute, Tony." He handed the radio off to Antoine.

Because the beaver was so stout, Illya took hold of his arms, while Bandit grabbed his legs. Together, the two of them carried him back the way the Freedom Fighters had originally came while their cohorts waited and kept watch. A moment later, Bandit and Illya returned.

"What did you do with him?" Antoine asked, hoping not to hear that the guard had been killed. Even though the beaver was technically working for Kasimir, to kill an unconscious Mobian in cold blood still struck him as wrong.

"We stuck 'im in the doc's cell. Figured he needed a taste of his own medicine." Bandit replied, taking the radio back from the coydog.

The radio belched static before a female voice filtered through. "A fire’s broken out in the northeast quadrant! All personnel report to the lobby right away!"

Bandit grinned mischievously. “Good girl, Suki!"

Making a right turn, the group came upon a side door and opened it. A quick hike down a narrow stairwell took them to what appeared to be a small chapel. Thankfully, it was empty at the time. At the back, light from outside poured in through two tall windows. Going to the windows and peering out, everyone could see the moat. Beyond it lay fields and thin patches of forest, while over to the far left, thick, black smoke rose steadily into the air.

Anubia took out a piece of chalk that she’d been carrying in a small satchel and began drawing an elaborate circular design on the floor. While she was doing this, Bandit and the others kept an eye out in case anyone tried to enter the room. Even though Antoine was supposed to be helping keep watch, he couldn't help but watch Anubia, curious as to what she was doing.

When Anubia was through, she stepped back from the circle and addressed her cohorts. "I will teleport us outside. But in order for this to properly work, all of you must do exactly as I command. First, join me around the circle."

The group did as instructed, though not without a tiny bit of hesitation on the part of a certain individual.

"This process isn't going to hurt or anything, is it miss?" Dr. Herdwick asked as he cautiously scrutinized the circle, echoing Antoine's own thoughts. Antoine wasn't especially familiar with magic, or those who wielded it for that matter. About the only experience he’d ever had before with a magician of any kind (not counting poor Tomlan) was Tails' mother, who had been some sort of healer, and he couldn't recall ever seeing any spectacular displays of magic from her before.

Realizing the doctor was unused to magic, Anubia turned to him as imperturbable as ever. "No. At most you will feel a tugging sensation on your person. Now, join hands everyone, and I will recite the spell. As I do this, none of you are to move."

Given how blasé Bandit, Fiona, and the other Maddogs seemed about all this like they had experienced it before (although Fiona bore a somewhat sour expression on her face, like she wasn't anticipating what was going to happen), Antoine guessed Anubia's warning was meant for Dr. Herdwick and himself.

Being teleported turned out to be a very peculiar experience. Anubia began chanting in a language that Antoine could not even begin to put a name to. As she did, a small breeze sprang to life, whirling around the six of them. The air crackled and pulsed with invisible energy, reminding Antoine of static electricity. Just as Anubia had said, Antoine felt some unseen force pull him forward. At the same time, he heard what sounded like rushing water in his ears. The next thing he knew, everybody was standing together in the middle of a field outside. Although they were still close to Carnia Penitentiary, they were well out of range of the watchtowers.

Looking to his left, Antoine noticed a slightly queasy-looking Fiona. Dr. Herdwick wasn't looking too good either. Bandit contacted Suki on his ear piece to let her know where they were. A moment later, she and Stormblaze came racing up to the group, out of breath but relieved to see everyone alive and in one piece.

Bandit looked around at everyone, obviously proud of how well their mission had turned out. "C'mon kids, let's go home. We got us a victory dinner waiting, compliments of Kasimir!"  
________________________________________

That night at the Maddogs' base, everywhere Stormblaze looked he saw Mobians in high spirits. Everybody had gathered in the Commons. It seemed like nearly everyone had a drink in hand or was snacking on something. The lunch tables had been pushed to the edges of the room in order to make room for the revelers and give them more space to dance. Bandit was sitting at one table, retelling the story of Dr. Herdwick's rescue to several captivated listeners. Trip was playing his guitar, the melody accompanying Bandit's tale and becoming either appropriately dramatic or rousing in all the right places. Bandit didn't seem to mind.

Speaking of Dr. Herdwick, he was there too, and, rather startlingly, drinking like a fish. Stormblaze supposed the poor fellow was just trying to sooth his nerves after everything he had been through. Tomorrow the Maddogs were going to help him go into hiding so that he could continue aiding Carnia's Resistance movement without having to constantly look over his shoulder.

When Bandit, Antoine, Stormblaze, Suki, Fiona, Slipp, Illya, and Dr. Herdwick returned, one of the first Mobians they encountered was Dag. He took one look at Antoine and remarked in a tone that was part surprise and part disdain, "Huh. I'm surprised the little runt didn't get himself killed."

"You think I'd of bought him along if I didn't think he could handle himself?" Bandit confidently countered, making sure to place a hand on Antoine's shoulder just in case he decided to react to Dag's barb.

Suki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, kid did us a favor, spotting that guard in time like that."

Picking up on the sincere note of approval in her voice, Antoine broke off his glaring contest with Dag to glance over at Suki. He felt grateful she wasn't so proud that she would not acknowledge his helpful actions in spite of their previous spat. He didn’t need to rely on a fast hedgehog to baby him. "Oh, well, it was being nothing really. Someone else would have seen him coming had I not been there, I am sure." Antoine seriously replied.

Amused, Suki and Bandit exchanged a glance between themselves. "Ain't he Mr. Modesty?" Bandit said.

Dag's only response was a scornful snort, but he refrained from saying anything else.

Being there with the Maddogs struck Antoine as rather surreal – pleasurable, but surreal all the same. After all, no one from his old life would have ever used his name and the word modesty together in the same sentence.

The sudden appearance of Bridget on the scene only added to his feelings of being whisked away to another world where Mobians actually liked and respected him -- well, most of them, anyways. Going up to Antoine, Bridget beamed at him before grabbing the surprised coydog by his hand. "You think I could borrow Antoine here, or are you guys busy?" She asked Bandit and Suki.

Suki gave her an obliging smile. "Nope. He's all your's."

As Bridget proceeded to lead Antoine away, he took in the kooikerhondje-mix's appearance. Noting how she as well as everybody else there was dressed (Bridget was still in her mechanic’s overalls), Antoine surmised that this gathering wasn't a formal celebration. He began feeling a little out of place in his uniform.

Bridget was saying something to him, so he returned his attention to her. "Since our first meeting was so crappy, I wanna make it up to you."

"But mademoiselle, I told you before that I know you were not meaning to hurt me on purpose. It is fine, really!" Antoine insisted.

"Are you sure? If you really are still upset with me, then you can say so. You won't hurt my feelings… well, not much, but still, I'd feel real guilty if you’re just acting like you’re okay but really aren't."

And here Antoine thought he was a chatterbox. "I am being sure that I am sure." He emphatically stated.

He was caught by surprise when Bridget caught him in an affectionate hug. "Thank you, Antoine! Hey, so wanna dance?" She brightly offered before looking him over. "You know, you actually look like a dancer. You ever considered joining a ballet company somewhere like Mobotropolis or Londonium when the war is over with?"

Antoine gave a jerk of surprise. "Moi, a ballet dancer? Non!" Jumping around on a stage in tights was a surefire way to get himself laughed at. "What I am really wanting to be is a… a…" Before, he would have readily answered that he wished to be a knight in the service of the Acorns, but to his shock, realized he was unsure if that was what he really wanted anymore, considering what he’d recently learned about his so-called teammates. "I really am not knowing anymore." He finally admitted with a helpless shrug.

Bridget patted Antoine's hand. "Don't worry. You'll figure something out eventually, I'm sure of it. It took me awhile to finally figure out I wanted to be a professional grease monkey."

While her efforts to reassure him, Antoine couldn’t help thinking how strange it was that even though these Mobians spoke English, he could barely understand what they were even talking about at times. Before he could inquire as to what Bridget meant by the term "grease monkey", she pulled him in the direction of one particular table where a dark red-furred dog was sitting.

"Hey, there's Redd! You'll like talking to him. He's a really deep thinker." She was saying. "I'm sure he could help you out."

Elsewhere in the room, Stormblaze was sitting down, a large plate of food on the table in front of him just waiting and ready to be devoured. He was going to invite Antoine over to join him, but had been a moment too late. As a result he was feeling slightly miffed, but then decided to just let Antoine have his fun. After all, it wasn't like he had a monopoly on Antoine's companionship or something. And he wasn't by himself. Taking up the spot next to him was Bonehead. He and Stormblaze both listened as Illya was going on about his exploits as an explosives expert for the Ruthenian military prior to becoming a Maddogs as well as his missions with the military. The silver and white canine sitting across from them wasn't exactly a braggart, but did clearly enjoy discussing his adventures. Stormblaze couldn't say that Illya was making him anymore interested in explosives then he had already been (which was to say not at all), but like anyone else, he enjoyed a good story and paid attention nonetheless. Bonehead was turning out to be a friendly, even-keeled individual, a surprising contrast to his behavior when he first encountered Stormblaze and Antoine. He would stop eating to good-naturedly tease Illya, and spoke easily with Stormblaze. Stormblaze found himself enjoying their company.

After a while, Stormblaze noticed Antoine, who was across the room engaged in conversation with Bridget and some other Maddog whose name he’d forgotten, get up and leave. When he hadn't returned after fifteen minutes, Stormblaze's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see where Antoine had gone. Excusing himself, Stormblaze left the commons. He figured Antoine was either somewhere close by or had returned to their room. It was his second hunch which turned out to be the correct one. Knocking on the door, he heard Antoine's muffled voice call out, "Who is it?"

"Stormblaze."

"You may enter."

Once inside, Stormblaze could see Antoine standing before a mirror hanging on the wall across from their cots. "Still busy trying to impress the ladies?" He lightly remarked, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Tell me, do you think I am being overly dressed?" Antoine asked as he appraised himself in the mirror.

"Your dress appears acceptable to me." Stormblaze shrugged. "Besides, it makes you stand out from the crowd."

"Oui, this is being true. I will keep wearing it then." That was just as well for him; he really wasn't comfortable with the idea of borrowing clothes from one of the Maddogs, partly because the thought of wearing someone else's clothing made him squeamish. Picking up his brush, Antoine started brushing his headfur. "Are you not loving this place? These Mobians, they are magnifique!" He told Stormblaze.

"'Tis alright I suppose." Stormblaze carefully answered, knowing that it didn't take much to set Antoine's temper off these days. He wasn't in any mood to bicker right then. Something else which had come to Stormblaze's attention was that after his return from the Spirit Quest, Antoine had ceased mentioning his desire to be knighted as well the other Knotholers altogether. Stormblaze wanted to find out why, but it was something else Antoine was withholding from him. He didn't necessarily take issue with the fact that Antoine had secrets – everyone did, even himself – but Stormblaze had the feeling that hiding these particular secrets was not going to have very good consequences.

"Well, I suppose your actions today will make for a good story to tell Princess Sally so that she can finally knight you." He ventured, watching for Antoine's reaction.

The happy gleam that’d been in Antoine's eyes died like a candlelight which had just been blown out. "Right." His expression neutral, he set aside his brush and faced Stormblaze. "You know, I have been doing the thinking lately. There might be other options out there for someone like moiother than being a knight."

Stormblaze hadn't exactly been expecting a response like that. He stared intently at his protégé. "I thought you were deadest on attaining knighthood. What happened?

Antoine didn't reply immediately. After a moment of silence between them, he finally answered, "How can one be a knight when there is no one honorable left to serve?"  
________________________________________

When the celebration finally wound down hours later, many of the Maddogs dispersed for the night, Bandit included. It was then that Antoine decided to step out for a walk. There were several exits around the base that led above ground. One needed to scale a wall-mounted ladder in order to reach the exits, which were shielded by metal covers, and push it open. The Maddogs took care to carefully hide them so that they couldn't be easily found or noticed by anyone entering the junkyard.

Antoine strolled through the junkyard wearing a contemplative expression. Momentarily, a cloud bank slid over the moon, which was in its last quarter phase, blocking what little light it had to offer. When his hearing caught the sound of soft footfalls, he followed his ears over to where the sounds were coming from. His efforts at tracking were rewarded when, as moonlight shone thrugh a break in the clouds, he spied the flash of a pure white-tipped long bushy tail disappearing around the corner of a tall heap of battered vehicles. It must have been Fiona, he realized. He could only assume that she had the same idea he did in coming out here. He decided it wouldn't hurt to say hello.

"Bonjour, Fiona." Antoine called out to the vixen, whose back was to him as she walked through the rows of old rusting junkers.

Fiona quickly twisted around, looking for all the world like she was ready to flee or fight. Seeing that it was only Antoine, she calmed down, but fixed him with an irritated glare. "Jeez, you nearly gave me a heart attack you know!"

"Excuses," Bringing his left arm up to his chest, he bowed his head apologetically. "I was not meaning to scare you, mademoiselle."

Fiona's scowl faded as her expression softened. "It's alright. So… what did you think of the party? Have a good time?"

"Oui, I was enjoying myself very much."

She arched an eyebrow. “No offense, but are you always this formal?"

"Mon apologies," He replied, bashfulness evident on his face. "It is just being the way I was raised. I have been trying to, uh, how you say, loosen up?"

"Mmm-hmm. Well, stick around a while, we can help you with that. Bandit and the boys'll have you belching and scratching yourself like a pro in no time."

A shadow of disgust overtook Antoine's features. "Er… perhaps."

Fiona snickered. "Catch you later, Tony." She waved goodbye to him before continuing on her way.

Antoine watched her leave before resuming his own trek. Surprisingly, he really had enjoyed himself this evening. Even though they were Freedom Fighters, the Maddogs were certainly nothing like the Freedom Fighters of Knothole. He had a feeling Sally and the others would be quite reluctant to have the Maddogs as allies. The Maddogs probably had more in common with the Wolf Pack due to their shared willingness to use lethal force against adversaries, although Antoine knew that the wolves would not only be too proud but repulsed to even consider wielding firearms.

Also, Antoine was happy that more Mobians were realizing that he could be a useful and brave individual – because he genuinely was now. As far as he was concerned, the days of having to constantly rely on someone else to either help or rescue him were over and done with. He would no longer burden anyone else with his problems. He’d come to see he could take care of himself as well as others - after all, he had been the one to kill the Skinwalker. A cold, whispery voice in his mind would further reinforce these thoughts, telling him that only the weak needed assistance or asked for it. True warriors tackled tough situations alone and didn't depend on anybody but themselves. Besides, most Mobians couldn't be counted on anyways. They only really cared about making themselves look good and being able to pat themselves on the back for how charitable they supposedly were. The old useless and pathetic Antoine who depended on aid from those kinds of individuals was gone.

'And good riddance.' He darkly thought.

From out of the corner of his eye, Antoine was certain he saw something white and furry on the hood of an old hovercar. Curious, he ventured closer to see what it could possibly be. The object turned out to be Bandit, who’s lean form lay stretched out across the hood of the vehicle. His hands rested behind his head as he stared up at the night sky. Antoine wondered what he was doing out there by himself.

Taking notice of Antoine, Bandit sat up and cheerfully called out, "Hey, Romeo! Come on over and cop a squat!"

"Cop a squat?…"

"It means take a seat." Bandit helpfully supplied.

Antoine went over, but paused to consider the car's hood, wondering just how clean it actually was. Deciding that it might be impolite to turn down Bandit's invitation however, he finally climbed up and plopped down beside the other canine. "Why are you being out here?"

Bandit gave a casual shrug of his shoulders as he lay back down. "I like coming out here to look at the sky and stuff. It's kinda soothing, being out here by yourself with just the stars, y'know?"

Understanding what Bandit meant, Antoine nodded. He himself enjoyed the beauty of nature whenever he could – he had come to notice how it seemed to alleviate his worries for some reason and made him feel at peace.

Bandit turned his head to regard Antoine. "You did good today, pup. You're officially alright in my book."

Though inwardly he was smiling, glad to have won Bandit's approval, Antoine merely shrugged a little in return. "I was just doing what you were asking moi to do."

His words appeared to satisfy Bandit, whose gaze returned to the skies. "If you don't mind my asking, what's with you and the uniform? You in the military?"

"If only. It was belonging to mon father when he was just starting out as one of King Maximilian's knights. I wear it in his honor."

Bandit grunted. "You know, I had a sister in the military. She was an infantry driver in the army. You're real lucky to have an heirloom to remember your old man by. I know a lot of Mobians who weren't that fortunate and lost everything when Robotnik came into power."

Antoine only nodded, suddenly pensive as he slowly ran a thumb over the topmost gold button on his uniform.

Bandit mistook his preoccupied silence for despondence. "Sorry, Tony. Didn't mean to bring ya down like that."

"Oh no, it is being alright," Antoine quickly reassured him. "I was just… doing some thinking, that is all." He decided that he wanted to ask some questions for a change, as there were some things about his new friends he had wondered about. "What is Anubia's story? And Juniper's for that matter?" Some of the Maddogs, like Anubia, Trip, and Juniper, seemed oddly out of place among the rough-and-tumble and streetwise lot who made up roughly half the group. In fact, if Antoine didn't know any better, Anubia could have passed for royalty with her polished manners and refined ways.

"Sorry, but it ain't my place to tell ya. I respect the girls' privacy too much to talk about their personal history. Same goes for the other Maddogs."

"Fair enough." Antoine conceded. It was probably for the best that Bandit didn't talk about the pasts of his Freedom Fighters anyways. Reflecting on the matter, Antoine knew he wouldn't appreciate someone going around sharing his life story without his permission.

"You can ask 'em yourself." Bandit suggested. "Though I can't guarantee you’ll get an answer, especially from Anubia."

"Perhaps, when I am knowing her and Juniper better. My second question is being about the scar on your neck. How did you get it?... If you do not mind telling me." Antoine hastily threw in, remembering his manners.

"That? Oh, old war wound," Bandit replied. He held his head just a bit higher, proud of the old injury. In the moon's light, the scar stood out plainly against his pale coat. "I was sixteen when I got it. That was back when I still lived in the city. I was just an errand boy then. I’d just finished delivering a package for my boss and was trying to get back to the west side. Young dumb me, I decided it'd be a good idea to take a shortcut. Now, part of that shortcut ran through the turf of a rival gang, the Nasty Hyenas, but I thought I was slick enough to get through without being spotted. Guess what happened?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on. "I end up in a tussle with a few Hyenas."

"How many is a few?"

"Six."

"Six?"

"Yeah," Bandit said, as though fighting six Mobians all at once was a normal everyday feat. "So they jump me, right? First guy comes charging at me, so I busted him in the head with a trash can lid. One of the other hyenas had a switchblade on him and manages to cut me while I was busy whaling away on another one of his pals. Typical coward move," Snorting in contempt, he unconsciously rubbed his scar. "After I kicked his friend's tail, I started in on him and managed to get a hold of the knife - told him that he should've finished the job."

By then Antoine was wide-eyed and on the edge of his seat. He found himself almost fearing to ask his next question, but he was just dying to know what happened next. "Did… did you kill him?"

"Nah. I did knock his teeth out though. Last I heard, the guy needed a set of dentures so he could eat solid food again. Anyways, seeing me still fighting with my face all bloody must've scared the other Hyenas, because they took off running when I came at them with their pal's switchblade. After that, I went home and got myself stitched up. From that day forward, nobody messed with me. Even the old-timers looked at me differently."

Antoine could not hide his awe. "Mon dieu! I am thinking you are having a very exciting life!"

"Exciting is a good way to describe it. Too bad you couldn't have been here back in the old days with me, Fee, Dag, and Slipp before all this scat with the fat man happened. That ain’t to say I hate freedom fightin', but boy I tell you, back then life was glorious."

Antoine was certain the "good old days" Bandit was referring to was his way of life prior to Robotnik's occupation. Antoine had actually forgotten that the Mobian he was conversing so easily with was actually a felon until being reminded of the fact just now.

"I do not think that kind of life would be for moi," Antoine said, shaking his head. "I could not be a crim --" Realizing what he was about to say, he stopped himself, not wanting to put his foot in his mouth like usual. "Wait, I mean --"

But Antoine failed to catch himself quickly enough. one of Bandit’s furry ears perked up. "A what? Were you gonna say criminal?"

Antoine awkwardly shifted in place, not sure how to respond. It hadn't been his intention to pick a fight. He liked Bandit too much to do that.

Sitting up, Bandit faced Antoine. Thankfully he didn't seem to be offended, but his face was set in an expression of utmost seriousness. "Look Tony, I'm gonna level with you. I know that in your world you guys have this rosy sanitized view of politicians and nobility and what not. But when you're one of the little guys -- someone who doesn't have very much money or power, if anything at all, those in power aren't exactly known for treating you with honesty and decency. You know when Robotnik took over, a lot of those same guys rolled right over for him? Now they pay him tribute just to keep their lands and save their skins. You know who did fight back? The gang and me, that's who. Even before all this happened, it wasn't like we were going around doing stuff like killing females and orphans. We ain't savages like the Hyenas are."

"Well… I suppose when you are putting it that way, it is not sounding too bad. But I am still believing my family would not have liked moibeing part of a gang." Antoine honestly answered. That was an understatement. His father and mother would have exploded if he announced he was joining up with a gang of highwayman. "You are still not robbing travelers, are you?" He inquired after a moment. Antoine just couldn't envision a situation where stealing from someone who had done nothing wrong was justifiable. At least on the occasions when the Freedom Fighters would steal some device or something from Robotnik, it was to prevent him from going through with some hideous scheme that would give him an edge over them or further endanger innocent lives.

"Personally? I don't. Kinda hard to steal from folks when most of them are already being robbed blind by Robotnik or have been turned into robots, after all. But even if that wasn't the case and I still was a highwayman, you shouldn't feel bad for some rich greedy schmuck who made the dumb mistake of traveling around by himself poorly protected. Half of 'em probably wouldn't even piss on you to put you out if you were on fire."

Bandit was beginning to remind Antoine of Stormblaze, what with all his talk of the gentry being corrupt and selfish. Perhaps both were onto something. The Freedom Fighters had received reports of Robotnik collaborators among a number of the nobility in various places. Plus, Antoine’s own eyes had been recently opened to the fact that Sally wasn't as saintly as he used to believe. Of course she wasn't paying off Robotnik or anything of the sort, but having thought back on her behavior, he realized that aristocrats like her really weren't above being just as flawed as those who followed them. Antoine supposed his infatuation with Sally had blinded to that fact. Even before the rise of Robotnik, corrupt nobles weren't entirely unheard of. These kinds of thoughts had never really crossed his mind much before. After all, most of the nobles he remembered from his youth seemed righteous to him, and there was truth in Bandit's words: most Mobians in the military were taught to view their superiors in a positive light.

It was hard not to like Bandit. If someone had asked the old Antoine did he think he could ever sit down and hold a civil conversation with someone like Bandit, he would have replied with an emphatic no. Antoine would have believed that a Mobian like him was a detestable beast with no sense of honor, but Bandit was nothing like that. He had done nothing to hurt or deceive Antoine or Stormblaze, even though there had been several opportunities for him to do just that. Instead, he’d invited them into his abode after his gang had caused trouble for Antoine. If he had been standing next to Lupe, the terrier-mix's head would have barely reached her shoulder, but in spite of his height, Bandit exuded boundless confidence and daring. In this way he reminded Antoine of Sonic, but unlike Sonic, who was quite often incredibly vainglorious about himself, Bandit was generally more casual about his talents and exploits, and definitely more down-to-earth and friendlier. Antoine also liked how Bandit led the Maddogs, finding a place for any Mobian who was capable of contributing something to the group to do so, not just his best friends or individuals who possessed amazing abilities.

'That is how a real leader should lead a team.' Antoine thought with admiration.  
________________________________________

Every day, Antoine told himself that that would be the day he and Stormblaze left so they could resume their quest to find the Deep Power Stones. But as he came to discover, that was easier said than done. Every time the subject of leaving came up, he would devise some new excuse to stay with the Maddogs for an extra day. Now, five days had gone by.

It was a fascinating and different change of pace for him to spend time in the company of other canines, most of whom were either his own age or older. In Antoine's book, the Maddogs were as great as the Wolf Pack was, just in a different way. He knew full-well the old him likely would not have been accepted into the group. Antoine didn't strut around and boast like he used to back in Knothole Village, but he didn't allow himself to be intimidated by anyone and wouldn’t back down from any challenge that came his way either. This seemed to gradually earn him the Maddogs' respect, as several of them didn't seem to know what to make of him and weren't very friendly as a result.

The incident that firmly cemented the majority of the Maddogs' approval of him was when, purely on a whim one day, he’d decided to assist Barkerville, the Maddogs' head cook, in preparing lunch. The much older, somewhat plump black Labrador retriever (whom Antoine suspected of having come from a wealthy background due to his aristocratic airs) had lifted one onyx eyebrow and sniffed rather snootily when Antoine asked if he could help him and his assistant, a hound dog named Bando, but accepted the offer. Early on, Barkerville just seemed to be waiting for Antoine to slip up and make a mistake so he could send him away, but when he didn't, finally started to accept his presence in the kitchen. He and Bando appreciated the extra help, though unlike Bando Barkerville never openly admitted it.

However, Barkerville's attitude turned sour yet again once the food was finished and a number of the Maddogs praised Antoine's cooking when they all sat down for lunch. When one of the Maddogs even half-jokingly suggested Antoine be allowed to take over the cooking, Barkerville practically exploded. The others tried pacifying him, but it was quite apparent that Barkerville was jealous. After that incident, the head cook wouldn't have anything to do with Antoine if he could help it. For Antoine, it was strange to have someone be envious of him for a change, when typically it was the other way around. As far as Antoine was concerned, Barkerville could keep his job. While he liked cooking, it was just a hobby for him and nothing more. He wanted to be at the heart of the action, not stuck slaving in some hot kitchen. But as annoying as he found Barkerville, he was not about to fight some fat, middle-aged Mobian. There was neither any sport nor honor in doing so. So he settled for giving his rival the cold shoulder instead. In private, Bandit explained to Antoine that Barkerville took a lot of pride in his culinary skills, and reassured him that he would speak with the Labrador. It wasn't clear whether their talk had any real effect or not, as afterwards the few times when Barkerville had to speak to Antoine for whatever reasons, the conversation was very strained and curt. Although he didn't like knowing that someone disliked him, especially for such an absurd reason, Antoine was also used to it, and decided it really couldn't be helped.

Speaking of Mobians with poor attitudes, Dag was still tetchy whenever he spoke to Antoine, but Antoine was starting to suspect that he was always that way. He hadn't objected to Antoine's blossoming friendship with Bandit and the others, after all.

The more time Antoine spent with the Maddogs, the more reluctant to return to Knothole he became. After all, here he wasn't on the outside looking in. Even though by that point in his life he was accustomed to being on the fringes of a group, being a canine, a species which was naturally social, some part of him still desperately craved to belong somewhere. He really liked the fact that his presence seemed to actually be accepted by others and how he felt like he was actively contributing to a good cause.

And well, having more than a few lovely faces around didn't hurt either, Antoine thought, unable to resist a grin at the thought of the female Maddogs like Bridget, Fiona, Anubia, and of course Juniper. However, when it came to Anubia, there was just a little something that was… well, off about her he had begun noticing. Antoine had caught her staring at both him and Stormblaze more than once, and it certainly wasn't in a seductive manner either. He was sure Stormblaze had noticed her doing this as well. Anubia wasn't exactly unfriendly – somewhat aloof, that much was for certain, but was neither hostile nor unwelcoming towards him or Stormblaze either. When caught in the act of observing them, she never said anything, and would just eventually turn her attention elsewhere.

Where Juniper was concerned, Antoine wasn't exactly positive as to whether he truly liked her as more than a friend or not. Although he had been smitten (and honestly still sort of was) by Juniper when he first met her and was becoming quite friendly with the healer, they had only known one another for a few days. He still really didn't know a great deal about her. Now that Antoine recognized his tendency to rush in headlong where it concerned someone who he thought might be a potential romantic match for him, he did not want to make the same error all over again. Juniper herself gave no hint that she wanted their relationship to advance beyond friendship. Although Juniper didn't treat him like he was a liability or turn her nose up at him whenever he tried doing something helpful for her like Sally tended to, he was still apprehensive about taking things any further, as he did not want to be rebuffed by yet another girl. It just hurt too much. Now Antoine better understood why Stormblaze had told him that he personally was content to remain a bachelor.  
________________________________________

Unlike Antoine, Stormblaze was not enjoying himself. The Maddogs had not really done anything to offend him. On the contrary, most were cordial towards him. Some were even somewhat intrigued by the mysterious equine who had shown up in Antoine's company. Frankly however, Stormblaze felt somewhat out of place, being one of the only non-canines around. He felt more at ease among a more diverse crowd. But what was far worse was the fact that Antoine had basically started ignoring him. He was missing out on his swordsmanship lessons and barely talked to Stormblaze anymore. Instead, he usually spent his time in the company of the Maddogs. Stormblaze had seen him with Bandit as the dog was telling him some story or something, and Antoine gazing at him with a look that most Mobians reserved for someone like a favorite teacher, or even an uncle or a father. Honestly, it made Stormblaze want to vomit. And when Stormblaze had gotten a look at whom the Maddogs had working as their medic, he finally understood why Antoine was so eager to stick around. He didn't want to believe that Antoine could be so irresponsible as to choose chasing after some girl over duty, but that almost certainly seemed to be the case.

Stormblaze had had enough. Now he was combing the base in search of Antoine. The little twit must have forgotten that they still needed to find the Deep Power Stones before Matthias Poe used them to free the most evil fell sorcerer the world had ever seen. Determinedly the unicorn strode towards the commons, the last place there was to look, while thinking of all the choice words he was saving especially for Antoine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French translations:
> 
> Excuses: Sorry.
> 
> Magnifique: Magnificent.


	12. Chapter 12

Trip was allowing Antoine to play a few chords on his guitar (or attempt to play, anyways). The unlikely pair was in the Commons sitting together at a table. At this time of the evening the area was mostly deserted, allowing them to play without disturbing anyone or vice-versa.

Antoine didn't know how Trip made playing guitar look so effortless. As he struck another series of sour notes he pulled a face, but Trip didn't appear to mind, and only offered encouragement and advice to him. Antoine had never played a musical instrument before, but did appreciate music. His own personal tastes leaned more towards *genres like old-fashioned pop and ballads. There had always been something appealing to him about the jangly sound of the guitar, and when the temptation had become too great to pass up, he started asking Trip questions about his guitar.

"And you say the ladies are liking males who can play the guitar?" Antoine looked to Trip, who nodded and grinned knowingly in return.

"Lemme tell you something, little dude: back when I toured with my band, we had to like, beat the chicks off with sticks! They were always flockin' around to hear to us play!"

Antoine decided that he quite liked the sound of that. He wondered if he should try to seriously learn how to play the guitar when he saw Stormblaze heading their way. He stopped to wave at him, as did Trip. "Hey Stormblaze! Trip is showing _moi_ how to play the guitar. _Femmes_ love it, and apparently you are needing to fight them off with sticks to keep them from going crazy for you!"

"… Right." Deciding that he didn't even want to know what in the world Antoine was going on about, Stormblaze looked to Trip. "Pardon, but I must speak with my colleague in private."

"Sure dude." Trip agreed.

Antoine regarded Stormblaze quizzically, but got up to follow as he left the Commons. They wound up inside a storage room, but not before Stormblaze took care to make sure that it was emptied of any potential eavesdroppers first.

"What is it that you are wishing to speak to _moi_ about?" Antoine asked.

"Why, I'm surprised that you still remember my name."

There was something in his tone that Antoine didn't care for. "And just _what_ are you meaning by that?" He sharply demanded, glaring at Stormblaze.

Stormblaze just stared back, wondering if Antoine was truly so oblivious. "What I mean is that since we have been here, you have barely said more than ten words to me." Ten words might have been an exaggeration, but Stormblaze felt that his point still stood.

"Really? I think you are doing the exaggerating." Antoine lightly retorted. "If you are really feeling that way, then perhaps you should be the one making an effort to speak with _moi_ more."

"Except that you are almost always gone or busy cavorting with one of _them_."

Antoine knew perfectly well that the 'them' Stormblaze was speaking of were the Maddogs, or at least the ones he was friendly with. He couldn't believe his ears. "You are being jealous?" He laughed. "That is silly! I am thinking you need to go to bed."

Stormblaze's ears flicked back at Antoine's derisive tone. "I am serious, you little furball. Not only have you completely ignored me, but our quest as well. Remember that? You're sitting around here taking guitar lessons while that maniac Poe is out there doing the Source knows what with the Stones! What is the matter with you?"

Antoine frowned thoughtfully. Stormblaze was right – well, about the quest, anyways. Somehow it had slipped to the wayside. He had made a deal with Stormblaze to help him find the Deep Power Stones, and it would be ignoble to turn his back on him after having made such a vow in the first place. The official D'Coolette family motto was 'Death before dishonor', and Antoine had always tried to take those words to heart, especially nowadays. " _Oui_ , well, I will still be assisting you because I am a male of my word. But afterwards I must be returning here, as I am being Bandit's honored guest." He proclaimed, raising his sharp muzzle into the air, obviously proud of his recent achievements.

Antoine's smugness irritated Stormblaze even further. Weeks of pent-up frustration were about to be unleashed. "Do not act like you are doing me any favors." He seethed. "Whether you return to that backwater village of your's or stay here with these yahoos is no concern of mine's. In fact, with the manner in which you have been behaving recently, these mongrels are probably the only creatures who can still tolerate being anywhere near you!"

Antoine could only stare at Stormblaze, shocked by his words before literally bristling with anger. "It is nice to be knowing how you really feel."

"Well, one good turn deserves another, I believe." Stormblaze icily shot back. "Perhaps you should go find your little girlfriend and allow her to soothe your bruised ego."

Hearing Juniper called his girlfriend made Antoine hot with embarrassment, but anger quickly overshadowed his discomfiture. "Leave her out of this! Just because you are hating _femmes_ does not mean I have to!"

Neither said anything further, glaring daggers at one another instead. Finally, the heated staring contest ended when Antoine did the only other thing he could think of: turning on his heel, he stormed out of the storage room.  
________________________________________

 

Stormblaze stalked through the base, long face set in a dour scowl as Antoine's words still reverberated through his head. Eventually coming across one of the exits, he scaled the wall-mounted ladder and forced the cover open. Emerging outside, he was greeted by heaps of rusted hovercrafts, old refrigerators, shabby mattresses, and other refuse, and sighed deeply. He hated seeing so much unsightly trash just lying around. It was an ugly blemish on the land. While he could admit that a junkyard was a clever location to hide a base, the place still repulsed him. He didn't understand why Overlanders couldn't just leave nature be. One would think that since they shared the planet, they would be more mindful of how they treated it.

Stormblaze started walking. He didn't know where he was going; he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. For him, the outdoors was the most desirable location for this. He was furious at Antoine and didn't know what to do. Duty demanded that he continue with his quest and leave Antoine behind. Doing so would save him the headache of having to deal with Antoine's attitude problem at least. But a small voice in the corner of his mind posed a question to him: did he really want to leave Antoine without trying to get to the bottom of what was happening to him, or at least without saying goodbye?

Coming upon a crumpled soda can in his path, Stormblaze savagely kicked it and sent it flying out of view. Instead of hearing a metallic clatter, which should have followed if the can struck the ground or something, Stormblaze heard an annoyed voice cry out, "Hey, watch it man!"

Going over to where the shout came from, Stormblaze discovered Trip sitting atop a scratched-up washing machine, holding the soda can in one hand and his guitar in the other.

"My apologies. It was not my intention to strike anyone." Stormblaze honestly told him. If Trip was out here, then where had Antoine run off to, he wondered?

"No worries, man." Casually pitching the can over his shoulder, Trip peered up at him. "Hey brother, you cool?"

Stormblaze didn’t respond, only looking at the Chinese crested as he considered his question. "Not particularly." He replied at length. "My body temperature is normal, so I would hardly describe it as cool."

"Naw, man," Guffawing, Trip waved a hand through the air as if dismissing Stormblaze's answer. "I mean like, are you alright? Your aura’s like, totally gray."

Stormblaze saw no real harm in confiding in Trip. Perhaps doing so would alleviate his frustration and help him sort himself out. _'Even if his manner of speech is about as unusual as a certain Mercian's.'_ Stormblaze wryly thought. For all his harsh words before about the Maddogs, he really didn’t hold any ill will towards Trip. His emotions were an open book for Stormblaze to read. He projected concern for Stormblaze, and complete serenity at the same time.

"Well recently, something strange has happened to a friend of mine's --" Stormblaze started to say, but not wishing to make Antoine’s identity obvious, quickly threw in, "back home. I do not know exactly what though, as he will not confide in me about it. He is like a complete stranger now. We quarreled and I might have… well, more or less told him that I thought he was a dolt and that I did not care about him."

"Hmm," Trip's long nimble fingers experimentally plucked a few guitar strings. "Well, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Not care about him?"

When Stormblaze didn't immediately answer, Trip stopped what he was doing. "Dude, it's totally cool to care about another dude. I think the world would be way better off if, like, all dudes loved their brothers. I love Bandit and Oskar and Illya and Dag and -"

"Yes, I see your point." Stormblaze hastily cut Trip off before he could prattle on any further. "I can honestly say I do care about him. My friend has a good heart. He can be rather eccentric, but well, so am I. I believe that is part of the reason why we are able to get on as well as we do. I miss the person he was before, even if he does not."

"So you two like, normally don't fight?"

"There have been minor disagreements between us before, but never anything like this."

Stormblaze waited for him to say something, but when the silence dragged on and on, he wondered what Trip was doing. He was just sitting there, appearing to stare off into space. The fact that Stormblaze was unable to see anything of his eyes honestly left him a little disturbed. He politely cleared his throat to get Trip's attention. "Pardon me, but-"

Trip snapped out of *whatever had affected him as if a switch had just been flipped on inside his mind, startling Stormblaze a bit. "Right man, so here's what you need to do: wait before you talk to him, but like, don't wait too long. Just 'till you and him have cooled off. When you do, sit down with him and tell him that you didn't mean what you said before. He should know that you wanna save your friendship. Maybe he'll open up to you, maybe he won't. Just give it time. It takes work to keep a friendship going, y'know?"

 _'That was surprisingly insightful coming from someone like him,'_ Stormblaze mused. But it just went to show that one should never judge a book by its cover. "Your counsel is sound. I will do as you advise. Thank you for listening." Dipping his head to Trip in a show of respect, Stormblaze took his leave. Trip waved goodbye before returning to his guitar playing.

Stormblaze decided to go to a nearby meadow he’d taken notice of previously. There, he intended to relax under the stars and think about what he should tell Antoine. Behind him, he heard Trip launch into a *slow melodic tune. That had to have been one of the strangest conversations he’d ever had before, but it certainly had benefitted him. It made Stormblaze realize he didn't really want to abandon Antoine after all. True friends were hard to come by, especially for someone like him.  
________________________________________

In the same field that Stormblaze visited the previous night Antoine now stood, leaning against a tree and appreciating the halcyon weather. Being cooped up in the Maddogs' base could feel somewhat… restrictive after a while. That was at least one thing Knothole Village had going for it: the individual above-ground huts and tree houses. He supposed an underground base was ultimately safer than either a hut or a tree house in the case that Robotnik ever chose to launch an aerial assault, but he had started feeling like a gopher, being stuck under the earth here.

Antoine was relishing the sensation of the sun warming his uniform and fur. He had calmed down since his argument with Stormblaze the other night, but the unicorn's words still rankled him. He couldn't understand why Stormblaze was so angry. Alright, so the more he thought about it, maybe he had kind of degraded Stormblaze (and subsequently the quest), but it wasn't like Antoine was trying to intentionally ignore him. He had just gotten caught up in the fun and excitement of being with the Maddogs. Shouldn't Stormblaze have been happy that Antoine was carving out a place for himself and making more friends who were far better than his old so-called friends?

Worst of all, Stormblaze had told Antoine that he didn't care about him. What happened to the promise Stormblaze had made to him back when they had been searching for Tomlan? Was he jealous of Bandit and the Maddogs, or had his vow really been a lie all along? Antoine sincerely hoped it was the former. Granted, he didn't think he needed anymore training, since it seemed like he was doing just fine without it, but he didn't wish to stop being friends with Stormblaze, as annoying as he could be at times. If Stormblaze couldn't get along with Bandit, then the least he could do was be polite to him and the other Maddogs. After all, Bandit didn't _have_ to let them stay at his base.

Antoine had played around with the idea of apologizing to Stormblaze, but wasn't sure if he could bring himself to face him just yet. Deep down he was still upset, and Stormblaze might be as well. Their talk could very well transform into another argument.

'Maybe,' the cold voice from within that had spoken to him a few times before suddenly began, _'He's actually jealous of you. Look at you. You don't need him anymore. He wants you to rely on him. He's just mad that other Mobians have started taking notice of you and your talents. He's -'_

Becoming aware of the sound of a light object rolling softly across the grass, Antoine glanced up to see what it was. A red ball had rolled up to his feet and stopped there. Blinking in befuddlement, and still stupefied from where his train of thought had suddenly taken him, he stared at it. A moment later, three children, two girls and a boy who he recognized as being part of a small group of kids the Maddogs cared for, ran into view. One of them, a black and white male puppy who looked something like a bulldog, called out to Antoine, "Little help?"

"Little help what?" A feminine voice suddenly broke in. Immediately recognizing the speaker, Antoine perked up. As expected, it was Juniper, with several more youngsters trailing in her wake.

Looking chastened, the bulldog-mix repeated in a more courteous tone, "A little help, please?"

Juniper presented the pup with a smile of approval. "Much better."

Picking the ball up, Antoine tossed it to the eager bulldog-mix, who smiled and thanked him before he and a few other children ran off together to continue their game.

"Don't go too far!" Juniper shouted after them.

"We won't!"

The rest of the children meanwhile played nearby. Juniper strolled up to Antoine. "Hi there. Your nose is looking better."

" _Bonjour, mademoiselle_. _Oui_ , the medicine you were giving me really helped. I am glad to finally be looking like mon old self again." Smiling, he raised a hand to rub the bridge of his muzzle. He was also glad that he could finally speak to Juniper without tripping over his tongue – well, not as much as before, anyways.

Juniper chuckled. "You know, when I first found out I was allergic to prickly pear fruit – I ate a muffin with prickly pear jam on it -- my eyes got all red and watery, and my nose swelled up like a balloon. I looked way worse then you did!"

Antoine was having a difficult time envisioning Juniper looking anything but stunning. "I cannot be imagining that." He seriously replied. Now that Juniper was there with him, he found his mood beginning improving. "What brings you and the children out here?"

"Well, it's a real pretty day out, don't you think? I don't like being cooped up all the time, and neither do those guys," She turned her gaze to the children. "So the other Maddogs and I like to bring them topside to play when it's alright to." She peered more closely at him. "Something the matter?"

"No. Why are you asking?"

Smirking, Juniper cocked a eyebrow. "Has anyone ever told you that you're not very good at lying?"

Antoine had to laugh in spite of himself. He _had_ heard that before, usually from Bunnie or one of the other Knotholers. "Well… before Edward and I came here, we were being on a quest to find some missing artifacts. He wants to leave so we can finish it, but I am not wishing to rush off so quickly. Not because I am scared to go though -- it is because I truly enjoy being here. It is nice to be feeling like I finally fit in somewhere. When it comes to my old home, I… I have not felt that same way about it for a very long time."

"I know what you mean." Juniper gave him a look of understanding. "This place is home for me too now. I used to live in the southwestern territories, in a place called Painted Rock. My village was destroyed by Robotnik, and everybody but me was captured. My grandmother told me to run and hide in the hills, so I did. It was Bandit and Trip who found me, and long story short, I decided to leave Painted Rock with them. I couldn't stay there anymore." Brushing a few stray locks of hair from over her left eye, the coyote glanced away. "Sorry. Didn't mean to turn this onto me like that."

Antoine was anything but offended. On the contrary, he was moved by her story, and wanted to do everything in his power to comfort Juniper. "Oh no, I am not minding one bit!" He fell silent, at a loss as to what he should do or say next. He nearly reached out for her hand, but stopped himself, not sure what her reaction to such a gesture might be. "That is being such a sad tale. No one should ever lose their family, especially in such a horrible way!"

"It's okay. I've been doing better since I've been here. Some days are better than others though." She softly said, smiling at him to reassure him, though her expression was somewhat strained. "Anyways, let's get back to you and your problems. Did something happen between you and Edward?"

"Well, last night we began arguing about the quest and what we should do, and things became... how you say… terrible? Ugly?" He looked to her for confirmation that he had used the proper term.

"Ugly." Juniper nodded to let him know he’d gotten it correct. "Hmm. On a scale from one to ten, just how important is this quest?"

"Um… about an eight. Perhaps a ten." He admitted guiltily.

"I think you need to talk to Edward. If you two really are good friends, then you should be able to reach an agreement and patch things up. And if your quest really is that important, then why not finish it? Once you guys get it taken care of, then you can come back here."

Her suggestion was such an obvious solution that Antoine could have kicked himself for not having thought of it sooner. "Why, that is a brilliant idea, _mademoiselle_ Juniper!"

That characteristic glint of good humor reappeared in Juniper's eyes. "I'm a woman. What did you expect?"

The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation that they had failed to notice Bandit, Suki, and Bonehead heading their way. Spotting the adults, the children ran up to greet them, who returned the affection. Among the young Mobians, they were well-liked. Bonehead picked up three of the children and allowed to sit atop his massive shoulders.

"Tony! There you are!" Bandit exclaimed, drawing both Antoine and Juniper's attention. "Look, I know you and Eddie said you gotta leave in a couple of days. But you also said you weren't aligned with any other groups. So if you want, you're more than welcome to join us."

"That's right." Bonehead smiled good-naturedly at the awestruck teen. "You can be a real Maddog like us!"

" _Moi_? A Maddog?" Antoine was astounded by Bandit's offer. It meant a great deal to him that they even considered him worthy to join their ranks.

Suki set her hands on her hips. "Well? You gonna say yes? Or are you gonna get all misty-eyed on us?"

It was a tempting offer. Antoine glanced at Juniper to gauge her reaction.

"It's your choice, Antoine." She told him, giving him an encouraging smile.

"What about Sto - Edward?" Antoine asked, glad he’d kept himself from letting Stormblaze's true name slip out just in time.

A look passed between Bandit, Suki, and Bonehead before Bandit shrugged. "Well, we ain't never had a Mobian who wasn't a canine officially join before, but if he wants to, the more the merrier."

Antoine was trying to gather his thoughts, which were all swirling around in his head like a leaf caught in a whirlpool, and respond to the Maddogs. "Could I please be having time to think about this?"

"Sure, no pressure." Bandit reassured him.

________________________________________

 

Standing outside of his and Stormblaze's sleeping quarters, Antoine found himself beset by apprehension. He knew Stormblaze was inside – lately, unless he had to eat or the like, or went topside, he basically had confined himself to the room. How would Stormblaze react to what he was going to tell him? Since their argument, he and Stormblaze had exchanged a few words when they crossed paths, but they were brief and awkward.

As reluctant as he was to speak to Stormblaze however, experience had taught Antoine that when it came to making major decisions, especially ones which might somehow affect other Mobians, it was a good idea to discuss it with another party, said Mobians in particular, first. Otherwise, jumping in without thinking things through tended to create a lot of problems. This needed to be done.

Antoine knocked at the door, and waited to get permission from Stormblaze before entering. He could see Stormblaze stretched out on his cot reading a book.

 _'Deep breath.'_ Antoine reminded himself. "Are you being busy?" He asked.

Stormblaze put his book down, curious as to why Antoine was there. "Did you want something?"

"There is something important I am needing to tell you. Bandit – he offered _moi_ a position with the Maddogs. And he said you can join too! I was thinking after we are finding the Stones, we can come back here!" He was grinning now, excited at the prospect of Stormblaze and himself becoming official Maddogs. "How is that sounding?"

Recovering from his astonishment to this unexpected announcement, Stormblaze made himself look away from the other's hopeful eyes. "Antoine, I cannot remain here." He quietly said. "Remember before, when I told you I must try to locate more unicorns?

"But surely if you were telling Bandit the truth, he – we – could help you search! It would be good to have more hands helping us, oui?"

Stormblaze's troubled expression quashed whatever little bit of hope Antoine had of getting him to go along with his idea. "I… I just don't know about any of this. I have no wish to be tied down to another Resistance group. I feel I have a destiny, and it does not lay here – not in some junkyard."

The way his lip curled when he said "junkyard" did not escape Antoine's notice. _'He's still doing it!'_ Antoine thought. He was still refusing to give Bandit and the Maddogs a chance.

It was Stormblaze who finally spoke again. "Is that all then?" His tone carried a hopeful note in it.

"I am supposing it is." Antoine replied somewhat frostily, much to Stormblaze's disappointment. Antoine's body language alone -- the creased brow, mouth turned down in a sulky frown, folded arms – spoke volumes. He still wasn't very good at hiding his emotions.

Silence further reigned as the two tried to look everywhere but at one another. "So," Antoine began, struggling to be casual, "When are we leaving to finish the quest?"

"Well, I know that I am leaving tomorrow." Stormblaze flatly answered. He wished he could give Antoine the benefit of the doubt, but at this point he would not have been very surprised if Antoine concocted some new excuse to stay behind.

Antoine nodded woodenly. He was wondering how he and Stormblaze would even be able to finish the quest together when it seemed like they could barely get along anymore. Maybe it would be for the best if he remained with the Maddogs.

Feeling positively miserable, Stormblaze decided that he wanted this train wreck of a discussion to end as soon as poosible. He picked his book up, though he doubted he was going to get very much reading done now. "Well, I… hope you enjoy yourself here then."

" _Merci_." Antoine stiffly nodded to him before walking out and shutting the door behind him. He supposed that was that. Stormblaze was an adult, and he couldn't make him stay with the Maddogs if he didn't want to. He could still hear the voice in his mind telling him Stormblaze actually wanted him to remain dependent on him, and now resented Antoine because he no longer did. It was an exceedingly strange moment to say the least. It almost really didn't even sound like his inner voice saying those things. It sounded so cold, so venomous. Antoine wasn't sure if that was what disturbed him more, or if it was the fact that deep down he knew it really was him thinking all that.

Honestly though, a while ago he had started to worry he was relying on Stormblaze to watch out and fight for him too much. He was not about to start doing _that_ with anyone ever again. He did not want to believe that envy was the real cause of Stormblaze's bitterness, but some of the things Stormblaze had said made him wonder…

Antoine decided that he would seek Bandit out. He was told by one of the Maddogs that he was topside, looking through the junkyard for a component to fix a broken radio. Sure enough, a jaunt around the junkyard ultimately turned up the terrier-mix, who was busy sorting through a box of assorted electronic parts. He glanced up as Antoine strode towards him. "Hey there Tony! What brings you out here?"

"I was giving your proposal much thinking, and I would be most honored to join the Maddogs." He answered in a tone of finality.

Beaming broadly, Bandit came over to give Antoine's shoulder a friendly slap. "Great! Hey, if you're gonna be one of us now, then you're gonna need a nickname you know."

"A nickname? What is being wrong with the name I am already having?" Antoine asked, slightly offended. He liked his name, and really didn't mind being called Tony either.

Bandit looked at Antoine, amusement etched on his face. "Do you think my mom really named me the Smiling Bandit?"

Antoine supposed Bandit was onto something. "Well… what were some of your ideas then?"

"Okay, okay, get this," Bandit excitedly spread his hands in front of him. "Tony the Shiv."

Antoine just stared at him. "I am not even knowing what a shiv is."

Undaunted by Antoine's lack of enthusiasm, Bandit moved onto his next suggestion. "Well, what about Tony the Carver? Or Killer Tony?"

"But I have never killed anyone before!" Antoine protested.

"Yeah, but your enemies don't know that. And that's the entire point. You gotta sound intimidating!"

"Hey there, boys." Looking up, Antoine found Fiona peering down at them from where she was standing on the edge of the ravine. Moving with an inborn swiftness and grace, she made her way down and came over to where they were. "If you don't mind, I need a couple of big strong males to give lil' old me a helping hand." Gliding past Antoine and wearing a sly leer on her face, Fiona deliberately brushed the tip of her tail under the startled coydog's nose. Turning back to him and Bandit, she smirked triumphantly when she saw a wide, dopey grin overtake his face.

"What is it you are needing, _mademoiselle_?" Antoine enthusiastically asked. He wasn't used to a female behaving in such a manner towards him, but he would be lying if he said he didn't like it.

Bandit on the other hand just gave a slight roll of his eyes and shook his head. Having known Fiona since the both of them were adolescents, by then he was very used to seeing her use her feminine wiles to get what she wanted from guys. He prided himself on not being so easily enraptured by a pretty face.

"I found a stalled hovercraft on the road a little ways from here." Fiona explained, her flirtatious airs gone now that she had Antoine’s attention. "There's no fuel in it, but it looks like it's still in pretty decent shape. I thought we might be able to get some use out of it."

"Okay. Lead on then." Bandit said.

He and Antoine followed as Fiona took them to where she said the hovercraft was. When they arrived there however, Antoine didn’t see any hovercraft in sight. There was a blackish-brown puddle of fuel on the ground, but that was it.

Bandit looked to his second. "Looks like someone beat you to it."

Unleashing a frustrated growl, Fiona gazed around. "I can't believe it!" She moved towards the scrub growing along the roadside. "I'm gonna check in here. Maybe they stashed it or something."

"I will help, _mademoiselle_." Antoine volunteered, preparing to start after her.

Antoine heard the attack coming before actually seeing it, and froze, using his senses to try and determine exactly where the danger was. He couldn't quite recognize what it was that he was hearing, but just knew the three of them weren't alone there. He opened his mouth to yell out a warning to Bandit and Fiona, but the words snagged in his throat as a weighted mesh net sailed through the air, enveloping Bandit and himself. Bandit swore loudly as the two of them clawed at the mesh and tried to push it off, but the cumbersome material made their task difficult.

Almost as if on cue, shouts rang out. The beat of numerous pairs of feet hitting the ground converged towards them. Antoine managed to count at least twenty police officers swarming around them, dressed in the dark blue and black uniforms of their station. Nearly all of them had weapons consisting of tazers and billy clubs, out and ready to use. One large bull seemed to be the one in charge, as he shouted a lot of commands at his fellow officers, who obediently complied. They surrounded Bandit and Antoine.

"Try to escape," warned one officer who jabbed his nightstick at them, "And we'll bust your heads open."

The mass of police officers parted to make way for another Mobian, this one a finely-dressed tomcat with long, impeccably groomed fur that was chocolate-brown in color, save for a collar of snow-white around his neck and more splashes of white fur on his muzzle, hands, and tail. An aura of self-importance and authority surrounded the stranger, who was surveying Antoine and Bandit with a lofty expression. Even though Antoine had never seen him before, he could take a good guess at his identity.

As the cat stepped forward, Bandit grinned lazily at him. "Hello there, Kassie. What are you doin' out here with all us _hoi polloi_? I thought it was more your style to sit back and get hammered while your henchmen do all your dirty work for you."

One of the police officers made to strike Bandit with her nightstick, but Kasimir stopped her with a raised hand. Returning his focus to Bandit, Kasimir lifted his upper lip in the semblance of a smile – although it was really more of an unpleasant sneer that showed off his flawless white fangs. "And miss the opportunity to see you finally be carted off to jail where you belong? No, this is an opportunity I wouldn't miss for anything."

A familiar flash of deep red and white fur caught Antoine's eye, and he turned his head to try and get a better look at it. Fiona had just walked out of the brush. He started to yell at her to go get help, but as he continued to watch her, something about the fox's behavior struck him as being very wrong. She could see everything that was going on, and yet she didn't appear upset or angry that he and Bandit had been caught or aghast at the sight of their enemies all congregating together like this. The sudden realization of what had _really_ happened hit Antoine with the force of a falling boulder and left him nauseated.

As she approached Kasimir, Fiona allowed the feline to take her right hand in his in an aristocratic gesture and kiss it. "You played your part most wonderfully, my gracious lady."

Pleased by the praise, Fiona beamed broadly before glancing over at Bandit and Antoine. "Aww, no wisecracks this time, Bandit? Cat got your tongue?" She cooed mockingly. Kasimir chuckled nastily.

Bandit was indeed at a loss for words at Fiona's duplicity. He could only gape at her before finally closing his eyes and shaking his shaggy head. "Nope," He replied, newfound disdain for Fiona evident in both his expression and voice. "They say trash attracts trash, so I guess this was inevitable, huh?" He shrugged before turning hard eyes back to Kasimir. "Kassie, you can dress yourself up in the best clothes, wear the most expensive colognes, and live in the biggest house on the block, but none of that'll ever hide the fact that you're a no good brother-murderin' traitor to your own kind."

By that time, Antoine too had overcome his shock and was just staring at the gloating couple in front of them with deep loathing.

Kasimir ignored him, focusing his attentions on Bandit instead. "All I hear is your futile barking, dog! Remind me, who's the one who's trapped here? You might have had a few victories before, but it looks like I've won the war."

"Look, why don't you let the kid here go at least? If you do, I promise to go with your goon squad here, free of charge."

Kasimir scoffed. "Oh, let him go so he can run back and tell your other flea-bitten friends what's happened so they can mount a rescue? Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

The net was yanked from off the two canines, and several officers then restrained Bandit and Antoine. "Be careful, that one's dangerous." One of them cautioned his cohorts, pointing to Bandit.

Antoine tensed as one police officer came towards him with a pair of handcuffs. There was no way he was going to let himself to be handcuffed like some common thug or something. He prepared to spring at the other Mobian to knock him down, but Bandit noticed what he was about to do.

"Don't." He whispered, shooting Antoine a warning glare. "There's just too many of 'em."

Antoine did as he was told, though as the cuffs were slapped around his wrists and locked together with a snap, his flattened ears clearly exhibited his displeasure with the whole situation.

The entire time, Fiona and Kasimir stood back and were watching everything. Kasimir quite literally looked like the cat that swallowed the canary, while Fiona was acting as though she was watching a very entertaining movie.

"Hold on." She ordered the police officers. Going up to Bandit, Fiona shot a gloved hand out and snatched the bandanna from around his neck. "I'll need this to show to the others as evidence of your 'tragic disappearance'. I don't think you'll be needing it where you're going." She smirked.

"If the two of you are thinking you will be getting away with this, then you are wrong!" Antoine said loudly. "Someone will be finding us. And traitors _always_ get what is coming to them!" He aimed another pointed glare in Fiona's direction.

Kasmir turned his bored gaze onto Antoine. "And now the puppy yaps." His verbal jab earned laughter from both.

As the jeering laughter of Fiona and the police rang in his ears, Antoine saw red. After his victory over the Skinwalker, he’d sworn to himself that he would never again allow himself to be laughed at by others. Teeth bared in murderous snarl, he lunged at Kasimir, but a nightstick brought down on his skull dropped him like a sackful of bricks.

His outburst left both Kasimir and Fiona slightly shaken, but when it was clear that Antoine was under control once more, they relaxed. Kasimir looked to the police captain. "If they continue being difficult, do what you must to keep them in line short of killing them. I want to reserve that pleasure for myself."

 

Terms:

Hoi polloi: Greek expression meaning "the many"; a derogatory term used to refer to the working class, commoners, etc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Terms:  
> Hoi polloi: Greek expression meaning "the many"; a derogatory term used to refer to the working class, commoners, etc.


	13. Chapter 13

  
Out in the junkyard, a sandskimmer that was sunning itself on an old orange crate gave a start as the sleek figure of a coyote stepped into view, casting a dark shadow over him. Frightened by the interruption, the small creature bolted, slipping through one of the gaps between the boards of the crate.

For her part, Juniper paid the animal no mind, walking past the crate in order to survey the rest of the junkyard. It was a large area covering a lot of ground, but she was more than willing and able to do the legwork to locate her quarry.

 _'Okay, Bandit. You're not inside, so you must be out here somewhere.'_   She needed to ask Bandit if he would be willing to let her travel to a neighboring territory to purchase a new supply of a medicinal herb called bitterroot there, since her own stash was close to running out. But it would seem Bandit was nowhere to be found.

Thinking she heard something, she looked around at her surroundings, pointed ears twisting and rotating to catch any other sounds, but whatever or whoever was responsible had fallen silent for the time being. Her eyes didn't perceive anything out of the ordinary either. Still, a sense that went beyond just her five physical senses told Juniper she wasn't alone. It was probably one of the other Maddogs, or some kind of animal skittering around, she tried to reason with herself.

"Who's there? Bandit?" She called out hopefully. She listened closely, but after a moment, when she had received no answer, Juniper shook her head and went on with her search. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a strange shadowed figure rising from atop one of the sandy dunes looming up in front of her. Letting out a yip of alarm, she stumbled back, away from the mysterious individual. Too unnerved to pay any mind to where she was going, the healer very nearly tripped and fell into some brush, but succeeded in catching herself in time.

In short order, the bright afternoon sun revealed the true identity of the wild-haired figure as it peered down at her from its perch. Juniper sighed in relief. "Oh Trip, it's just you!"

Half-running, half-sliding his way down the dune, Trip approached Juniper, clearly concerned. "Chill out, little sister. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't." Juniper reassured him. Her heart rate was already beginning to return to normal. Although a number of the other Maddogs regarded Trip as a spacey oddball, Juniper liked his open-minded and mellow nature. "Have you seen Bandit around anywhere? I haven't seen him all day."

Trip's face fell. "Aw man, don't tell me Bandit's gone too! I was just out here trying to find Tony. I've been teaching the little dude how to play guitar, but I haven't seen him since this morning."

"First Bandit and now Antoine?" Juniper frowned. "This isn't like Bandit at all. He would tell us if he was going somewhere. And I don't think Antoine would just up and leave like this either."

Trip gasped as a frightening idea suddenly occurred to him. "What if… they were abducted by aliens?!"

" _Aliens?"_ While she was worried about their missing friends, Juniper couldn't resist giggling at how Trip's train of thought had completely jumped its rails. "I think they might have better things to do with their time then visit Mobius and bother us Mobians, Trip. Let's set the conspiracy theories aside for now. I think --"

"Conspiracy theories?" A familiar voice echoed. As both glanced up at the same time, Juniper and Trip saw Fiona coming their way, giving Trip an exasperated look all the while. "Trip, I thought I told you before -- Robotnik is just an Overlander, _not_ an alien reptoid. He looks like he might've eaten a few reptoids though." She snickered at her own wisecrack.

Trip shook his head. "It's not that, Fee. Bandit and Tony are missing!"

Fiona's countenance turned thoughtful. "The last time I saw them – either of them – they’d come out here. You check HQ?"

"Yeah. I didn't even know Antoine was missing until Trip told me just now." Juniper said.

"Well, just keep looking. I'll ask around and see if I can't find those silly boys." Fiona assured them before turning to go inside.

Fiona, Juniper, and Trip were totally unaware that someone else had overheard their conversation. Concealed behind a seven foot tall tower of crushed vehicles, Stormblaze remained where he was as Juniper and Trip decided to extend their search efforts into the area around the junkyard. He had gone out there with the intention of trying to locate Antoine himself, having grown worried when he hadn't seen him around in the last few hours. Initially, Stormblaze merely assumed that Antoine was somewhere sulking or something after their most recent 'conversation', but now he wasn't so sure.

Fiona may have successfully fooled her packmates, but her silver-tongue hadn't worked on Stormblaze. The instant she opened her mouth, he knew that she knew more then she was letting onto. Wondering if the vixen had any knowledge of Bandit and Antoine's actual whereabouts, Stormblaze made up his mind to find out. But how to do so without alerting Fiona to what he knew?  
  
He got his chance later that evening when he noticed Fiona slipping out into the junkyard. Stormblaze had chosen not to say anything of his suspicions about her to the other Maddogs, or what he was planning to do for that matter. It was a potentially risky decision on his part, as he would not have any backup to rely on should he wind up in trouble, but he didn't want Fiona tipped off to the fact that he knew she was up to something. He had also chosen to leave his longbow and spatha behind. They weren't the most concealable weapons after all, and would only raise questions if someone happened to see him with them. But he wouldn't be completely defenseless – he had his natural weaponry to rely on.

Opening one of the exits leading outside, Stormblaze cautiously peered around before fully emerging out into the open. He couldn't see Fiona yet, and chose to hide while he waited for her to show herself. Finally, she walked into view, having donned a black jacket, the hood of which was pulled up over her head. It would seem as though she didn't want to be spotted.

Carefully, Stormblaze trailed Fiona at a safe distance as she left the junkyard and got on one of the main roads. It led to a decidedly posh-looking neighborhood on the city outskirts. As he walked, his hooves tread the ground noiselessly. It was a talent all unicorns possessed, allowing them to move around anyplace undetected. As Stormblaze followed his quarry, he found himself thinking about the spat he had had with Antoine that morning.

_"Whether you return to that backwater village of your's or stay here with these yahoos is no concern of mine's."_

That had been a boldfaced lie. Stormblaze was quite concerned about what Antoine intended to do. Perhaps the old Stormblaze would have decided that he didn't need Antoine anymore and left him behind, but the new Stormblaze couldn’t do that. As drastically as Antoine had changed, he was still his friend, and Stormblaze would not turn his back on a friend. Not only that, but if Antoine was hurt or in some kind of trouble, he would require help.

Eventually, Stormblaze followed Fiona to a large three-story manor house surrounded by an eight-foot high wall made of white stone, with an iron-wrought gate bordered by two stone columns barring the entrance way. He could see the warm golden glow of light shining through the house's many frosted glass pane windows. Stormblaze had seen this place before at a distance, when he and Antoine had gone with the Maddogs on their mission to Carnia Penitentiary. According to them, the manor had once been the home of Kasimir's brother until Kasimir had taken it over.  
  
_'Interesting. What are you doing visiting one of your comrades' worst enemies, Miss Fox?'_   Stormblaze thought. Hanging back across the street, where he had hidden himself behind a wall of neatly-manicured shrubbery, he observed Fiona go up to the gate. She pressed on one of the stone blocks located on the left-hand column, revealing a hidden keypad there. Typing something on it, she then waited for a few minutes. When the gate finally started to slowly swing open, she walked on through and up the long walkway stretching up to the house's front door.

Abandoning his hiding place, Stormblaze stole around to the back of the manor and scaled the wall. Jumping down and landing on the other side, he found himself in the backyard. As he stalked through the expansive, well-kept area, a light suddenly switched on, catching him in its high-powered beam. Though taken off-guard, he knew that to freeze up could lead to discovery or worse. Forcing his legs to move, Stormblaze instantaneously took off, heading towards a particularly large poplar tree growing at the edge of the yard. Hiding behind it, he fervently prayed he hadn't been spotted. He waited to see if anything would happen -- for someone to come out of the house to investigate why the light had been triggered, for an alarm to sound…

But when nothing happened, Stormblaze released the breath he had been holding in. His new position offered a decent view of the patio. He turned his attention to intently studying the manor, trying to think of a way to get inside so he could see what Fiona was up to and have his suspicions about her being a collaborator with Kasimir confirmed.

The back door opened and a moose walked out, closing it behind him. Stormblaze watched the other herbivore stroll out onto the lawn and have a look around. Seeing nothing, the moose relaxed. Stormblaze realized he must have been a servant of some kind, for he wore a white shirt with a gray-blue vest and matching pants. The moose removed a cigarette as well as a lighter from inside his shirt pocket and lit the cigarette. Thoughtfully, Stormblaze considered the moose before grinning sneakily to himself.

The moose was relishing his cigarette when a sound coming from in the vicinity of the poplar tree across the yard caused him to jump and look around. "Psst!"

Frowning, the moose went to investigate – and was promptly stuck in the head by Stormblaze's fist when he was within striking range. The moose dropped to the ground, out cold. Stormblaze didn't waste any time in dragging the hapless fellow behind the poplar. Several minutes passed before Stormblaze stepped out from behind the protective screen of thick greenery, now dressed in the moose's uniform. In his hands was his green tunic.

Studying himself, Stormblaze noted, _'A little loose, but it shall do for now.'_ Folding his tunic up, he carefully hid it behind the poplar. That done, Stormblaze made his way up to the back door, opened it, and entered the manor.

His eyes took in the room he had just stepped into. Noticing a large rose brick oven against the wall, as well as the waves of sweltering heat concentrated in the area and having his nose teased by an array of mouthwatering scents coming from the contents of the pots and pans on the stove, Stormblaze quickly deduced he was in the kitchen. No one else was there at the moment, fortunately for him.

"You there!" A loud, unpleasant voice squawked from behind him. Stormblaze just about jumped out of his hide. Whirling around, he saw an old mynah bird approaching. "Are you that new servant?" She asked, sharp black eyes looking him up and down critically.

"That I am, madam," He inclined his head to the mynah, but apparently his politeness wasn't enough to soothe the cranky avian.

"I don't know where you've worked before, but tardiness is _not_ tolerated around here. Take this up to the master's entertaining room." Shoving a silver serving tray covered with all manner of appetizing finger foods into his hands, she then shuffled off to check on the dishes which were cooking on the stovetop.

Stormblaze pretended to seem contrite as he obeyed the mynah's orders and, pushing his way through a set of white double doors, emerged out into a beautifully furnished lobby-like area. His eyes surveyed the spacious room before coming to rest on a winding staircase, and he walked over in that direction and began the ascent to the second floor. He couldn't help but be impressed with the manor. It was a fine home indeed, lavish and handsomely decorated, but then he remembered that Kasimir had taken it by means of force and deceit.

When he made it to the second floor, Stormblaze decided to stop and have a look around. He was now standing in a hallway that stretched out some ways in front of him, with the banister on his left-hand side and six doors to his right. Could one of them be the entertaining room?

The first door suddenly opened, and an opossum servant carefully backed his way out of the room, pulling a vacuum cleaner along with him. Stormblaze approached the marsupial. "Pardon me, but where might I find the master's entertaining room?" He lowered the tray of snacks for the opossum to see. "I am new here."

Craning his neck in order to get a better look at the much taller Mobian, the opossum replied, "You're on the right floor. It's that one right there." He pointed to the fourth door.

Thanking the opossum, Stormblaze approached the entertaining room while the servant moved on to cleaning the next room. Waiting until the opossum had ventured all the way inside and turned his vacuum on, Stormblaze paused just outside the entertaining room, not daring to step beyond the door frame. The door was open just a hand's width, allowing for a soft beam of lamp light to slip out into the hallway. Hearing voices inside, Stormblaze strained to listen, all the while keeping an eye out for anyone who might be heading his way.

"Well at any rate, they're out of my fur. Do what you want with them." That was undoubtedly Fiona. Stormblaze guessed that the 'they' she was referring to were Antoine and Bandit, but waited to hear more. Bandit and Antoine both disappearing the exact same day struck him as being more than mere coincidence.

There was a throaty chuckle of amusement, then the velvety, cultured voice of a male purred, "My dear, I had no idea that you were this ruthless."

"I don't have anything against the Mercian. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now Bandit on the other hand… I'm tired of listening to him bark orders and having to stroke his ego. Ever since we got involved in this whole stupid war, it's been one thing after another. As you well know, we've lost several longtime members, and the Nasty Hyenas aren't respecting the old boundaries anymore. Then he likes to go out and pick up every stray mutt he meets, like we're some club for charity cases or something." She practically spat out the word 'mutt'.

"Don't worry. I will see to it that our friend the Bandit is properly taken care of. He and that other cur are down at the jailhouse now. We'll see how defiant he and his little friend are after ten months or so of wearing chains and eating gruel every day. Then Bandit can watch the boy be roboticized before sharing the same fate." There was an undeniable note of gleeful cruelty in Kasimir's tone. It was quite easy to believe he could have his own brother roboticized.

Stormblaze decided that he had heard all he needed to. He started to leave, but not before helping himself to the finger foods on his tray that didn't contain any meat. Afterwards, when he was sure no one else was around to see him, he stashed the tray behind a bookcase. _'Their like do not deserve food such as this.'_   He heatedly thought. Plus, it didn’t hurt for him to have a little sustenance to maintain his energy.  
________________________________________

Restlessly, Antoine paced from one end of his cell to the other and then back again, the irritation and anger he felt evident in his bearing. Unable to sit still (not that he really wanted to though), he had mostly been pacing. Once the police had bought him and Bandit to Carnia Penitentiary (ironically enough), the two had been separated. Just as he had started coming around, the last he saw of Bandit was the unconscious terrier-mix being drug down the hall. The guards had then literally thrown Antoine into this cramped, dirty cell. They were fortunate they outnumbered him four to one, otherwise he would have made them think twice about treating him and Bandit like common criminals.

The only sound that could be heard was the steady rhythm made by the soles of his boots as they met with the hard, bare floor. Every now and then his ears would catch a stray sound or two from elsewhere within the facility, but due to their distance from his own location, the noises were muffled.

Being stuck in this wretched cell made Antoine feel helpless, and he _hated_ feeling helpless. He always had hated it. He remembered seeing Fiona take Bandit's bandanna, intending to use it in her insidious plot to deceive the other Maddogs about Bandit's disappearance. But there was a hitch in her scheme: Stormblaze would know she wasn't telling the truth. Then again, that didn't necessarily mean that Stormblaze would be able to find him and Bandit. Antoine wondered if he would ever see Stormblaze again.

Just then, the deep timbre of a masculine voice wryly remarked, "Your hosts do not appear to be the most hospitable sorts, would you not agree?"

Immediately Antoine stopped, and his head shot up as he stared at the front of his cell. By this point in time he could have pick that voice out of a crowd of thousands. "Stormblaze!"

The unicorn (wearing his tunic once more) was standing right outside his cell, peering in at him.

Rushing up to his cell door, Antoine tried to see if he could spot anyone else there with Stormblaze. "It is just being you?" Seeing Stormblaze draw back slightly and frown at him, Antoine wondered if he was still upset with him.

"Well, hello to you too."

His terse response answered Antoine's question for him. "I was not meaning it like that," He hurriedly explained. "I am being glad to see you, but I was expecting a rescue party."

"'Tis just I." Stormblaze said, visibly calmer now. Seeing Antoine was alone himself, he asked, "Where is Bandit?"

Antoine shook his head, his own aggravation returning. "I am not knowing. We were both being knocked out right before we were brought here. I was waking up in time to see him be taken that way." He pointed down the hall, to his right.

Bandit may not have been his favorite Mobian at the moment, but Stormblaze did not dislike the fellow enough to leave him to a ghastly fate as a roboticized slave. Wrapping each hand around a bar, Stormblaze strained as he pulled them in opposite directions. Under the pressure of his grip, the metal bent like clay. When he stopped, there was a gap in the bars wide enough for Antoine to fit through.

Stepping out of the cell, Antoine made to dash off in the direction the guards had taken Bandit. "Come on!"

Before he could go anywhere though, Stormblaze planted a staying hand on his shoulder. "I know you are concerned for him, but we must not be hasty. Strategy will win the day here, not impetuousness."

Antoine jerked out of Stormblaze's grasp and rounded on him with wild eyes. "If we are not saving Bandit in time, he will be roboticized! You can stay here and make plans if you are wanting to, but I will _not_ let that happen to someone else!"

Stormblaze rubbed a hand down his craggy face, trying to keep his raising temper in check. "Antoine, hearken to me. I did not free you just to see you get yourself killed! If we do this, then we must do it properly."

"The best way to do this is to find where they are keeping him and break him out!" Antoine argued back. A temporarily forgotten thought resurfaced in his mind. "Are you still thinking I am not able to take care of myself?"

"What?" Stormblaze stared at Antoine, wondering if he’d really just said what Stormblaze thought he did.

"You heard me!" Antoine growled, stabbing an accusatory finger at Stormblaze. "You are just wanting _moi_ to have to rely on you all the time because you think I am being a weakling!"

"I do not know where on Mobius you could have ever gotten such an idea from, but I do not think you are a weakling nor have I ever had any intention of wanting you to rely on me all the time! Have you become so arrogant that you do not even care that your recklessness could condemn you as well as Bandit and myself to imprisonment or death? Hear me -- _you are not untouchable_. I know you are smart, so start acting like it!"

His lecture appealed to Antoine's latent common sense, and a part of him did acknowledge that what Stormblaze was saying made sense. Snapping his eyes shut, he struggled to rein his anger in, but not without some effort. What he really wanted to do was tear this vile building apart (and if he had to, anyone who got in his way) brick by brick to find Bandit. The inner voice was back, egging him on and telling him he should do just that. He did not want to have another situation like Bunnie's on his hands in which he failed to act in time and ended up ruining yet another person's life.

Finally, heaving a great shuddering sigh, he fixed his eyes on Stormblaze. " _Fine_. So what is your idea being?" He grumbled through gritted teeth with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.

Stormblaze was a little amazed by his reaction. He had wondered if Antoine was going to storm off and just leave him there, or even take a swing at him. He could sense the rage inside him surging like a wildfire. He’d seen Antoine mad before of course, but compared to those instances, this was like a lust for battle and violence, like what Stormblaze had sensed in him when they’d fought the SWATBots before. It lent further credence to Stormblaze's suspicion that the "gift" the Thunderbird had bestowed upon Antoine had had a hand in altering his personality. If he ever ran into the Thunderbird himself, then Stormblaze was going to ask her exactly what had been going through her head at the time.

Setting his concerns aside for the moment, Stormblaze began laying out his plan. "We will have to split up and search. That way we can cover more ground. But --" He held a hand up "-- since we are not familiar with the layout of this building, we _must_ exercise strict caution at all times. Furthermore, as this is a rescue operation and not a battle, kindly restrain from berserking on anyone if you can please."

Antoine snorted at the dig. " _Oui, oui_ ," He impatiently huffed. "What am I to be doing if I am finding him first? Or if you do?"

"Then we meet back here."

To Stormblaze's relief, Antoine nodded his concurrence. Stormblaze started to wish him luck, but before he could even get the words out Antoine was already gone, sprinting off down the hall. Watching him, Stormblaze shook his head and sighed. _'Please do not get yourself killed here, little wolf.'_


	14. Chapter 14

Antoine crept through the empty corridor. Earlier, he had seen a sign posted by a stairwell telling him he was on the fourth floor. He had noticed a few security cameras here and there, but they were easily avoided. He speculated whether Bandit had been placed in a cell somewhere deep inside the facility due to his high-profile status, or if Kasimir was being overconfident and therefore lax about where he kept his captive. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Antoine’s mind wandered to Juniper and what she might be doing at the moment. He figured Kasimir was probably relying on Fiona to keep the other Maddogs preoccupied somehow.

He came to a junction where his hallway crossed with another one, and paused there. His hearing alerted him to the sounds of hard, heavy footsteps from further ahead. It didn't take him long to recognize them as belonging to a robot. Robots had a distinctive sound to their footfalls, since they were comprised of metal. Using the wall to hide, Antoine tried to see if he could spot the robot. Sure enough, some thirty or so feet in front of him, a robot diligently marched back and forth before a set of metal double doors. Its design was humanoid like a SWATBot's, but that was where the similarities between the two models abruptly ended.

This particular robot was taller and had several other different physical features, such as fearsome black spikes, the longest of which was nearly the same length as one of Antoine's forearms, protruding from its broad shoulders, and dark green coloration. Antoine recognized it as a new model known as a Combot. He personally hadn't seen too many of them yet, but had heard Sonic talking about them before. They were supposed to be smarter and more formidable then SWATBots, equipped with things like camouflaging capabilities, optic beams, net launchers, and tazers.

Why would the guards have such a powerful robot here? Unless - there was something or someone behind those doors that they didn't want escaping.

Antoine mulled over his options. This was a rescue operation, not a battle, Stormblaze had said. Perhaps he should find a way to trick the robot somehow and then slip past it. The idea caused him to grimace in displeasure, but this time, his logic overruled his desire to see action.

Boldly, he strode right into the middle of the hall within clear view of the Combot. Seeing that he had its full attention, he cheekily waved and blew a kiss at it.

"IDENTIFYING BIO-SIGNATURE… UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL. HALT, INTRUDER!" The Combot droned in its deep electronic voice.

' _I think not!'_   Antoine thought, turning to run. Behind him, he could hear the Combot give chase. It sounded fast, judging by how swiftly its feet were rapidly hitting the floor, but Antoine remaned undaunted. For one thing, he had a good head start on the automaton. As he sprinted back the way he had come, he recalled seeing a restroom down that way. Coming to a second junction, he altered his path and turned the corner. The restroom was right where he remembered it was, and he pushed his way in. Hiding inside the first stall, he kept an ear out for his pursuer.

The Combot must have assumed that he had run on down the corridor, because the sound of its running continued on right past the restroom door. Antoine waited, not wanting to leave immediately just in case the robot was still somewhere nearby. But the hallway sounded empty and still. Finally, he exited the stall and, opening the door, cautiously peeked outside. As far as he could tell, there was no sign of the Combot anywhere. _'So much for it being more intelligent than a SWATBot.'_   He smugly thought.

Moving swiftly but as silently as possible, he made his way back to the place where he had seen the double doors. Opening one of them, he walked through and quietly shut it behind him, thanking the Source that robots were so easily deceived. He found himself in another hall, at the very end of which stood a door. As he glanced around, Antoine thought this place was easily one of _the_ blandest-looking buildings he had ever been in before. Everything started to look the same after a while. Well, he would be free of this awful place once he found Bandit, and then they and Stormblaze could leave --

Just like before when he and Bandit had stepped into Fiona's trap, Antoine's hearing warned him of the sound of danger before he ever actually saw anything. Not bothering to see what was behind him, he sprang to one side. He remembered that whooshing sound from before, when the police had tossed the net and ensnared Bandit and himself. But he was a second too late, and was sent tumbling head over heels as he was enveloped in a net that the Combot fired at him. Antoine cursed his luck. He thought he had left that stupid robot wandering the halls!

Thinking fast, he pulled his sabre from its sheath. One slash, and he was free. No sooner had he done that though then his instincts told him to leap clear. This time his timing was better, and he managed to avoid the optic beams that the Combot unleashed. Landing on his feet in a crouching position, he kept alert eyes trained on the Combot. In turn, the robot appeared to actually consider him for a moment before advancing towards him.

Well aware of the fact that the Combot was far stronger and more durable then he was, even with his enhanced physical stats, Antoine focused on evading its attempts at grabbing him, his powers not just making him quicker but serving to guide his actions too. _'Stay on the move. Wear your opponent down. Don't allow yourself to be pinned down.'_   Stormblaze had shared that advice with him before during one of their training sessions, and Antoine saw the wisdom of it. Of course, wearing a robot down was impossible since they weren't alive to begin with, but they could be confused. He would twist, dodge, or roll away from it at the very last second, all the while darting around it in an effort to throw it off.

He could hardly be called a klutz now, moving with a fluid agility he’d never possessed before. He had actually always been fast owing to his coyote parentage – certainly not on the level of a certain hedgehog, but when it came down to it, he was able to beat the rest of the Knothole Freedom Fighters in a footrace. While the robot could hardly be called slow either, it did lack flexibility, and Antoine found that he was able to match it move for move.

As he eluded the Combot, Antoine looked for an opportunity to counterattack. If he could just stab it in the head or chest, then he’d be able to take it out permanently. Military sabres like his were not only designed for slashing, but to be thrust into a target as well.

He positively _loved_ this. It struck him as being a strange thing to think. Normal Mobians did not relish the idea of fighting a robot. Then again though, he supposed he wasn't exactly a normal Mobian. The exhilaration that was coursing through his veins in that moment must have been the so-called 'thrill of battle' he’d heard soldiers say they experienced whenever they charged into combat.

Sonic, Dulcy, and Bunnie weren't the only Mobians who could handle robots anymore. So could he!

The coydog and the robot's deadly dance carried them further and further down the hall, towards the door that Antoine had glimpsed earlier. Their fight stood at a stalemate, though at one point the Combot caught Antoine off-guard with a glancing jab to the side of his head that made his teeth rattle. Even though the force of the blow caused him to stagger, Antoine was far too wound up by then, fueled by both power and rage, to allow the pain to slow him down.

Darting behind the Combat, Antoine managed to climb onto its back. As he clung there, he gripped the hilt of his sabre and prepared to deliver the killing blow. Before he could act though, there was a curious hissing sound, and he found himself enveloped in a cloud of what seemed to be white smoke. The bitter odor made him gag and wheeze, and his eyes watered furiously. He realized only too late that the smoke must have been some type of poison gas the Combot emitted.

Coughing harshly, Antoine leapt down, wanting to put as much space between the Combot and himself as possible. He tried to run, but his coughing fit prevented him from getting very far. Taking advantage of its target's condition, the Combot knocked Antoine clean off his feet with a swift backhand.

Antoine went sailing through the air. It was only smacking into the door that stopped him. For a few minutes, he didn't try moving from his sprawled position on the floor. How odd - that had _really_ hurt him. For the most part, since having gained his powers, whenever he happened to be hit or something, it didn't hurt like it would have before. Well, this was his first time battling a Combot.

He groaned and tried to sit up – only to hastily dodge to the side as the Combot's fist came sailing right for his head. The blow hit the door instead, leaving a large hole behind. Thinking fast, Antoine squeezed through the hole, and found himself inside a medium-sized room.

"Tony?"

He knew that voice – it was Bandit! For a moment, Antoine thought he was still feeling the effects of being hit by the Combot and was hearing things. He looked around, trying to find Bandit. As there wasn't exactly much to look at, it didn't take long. The room's main features were a small barred window set high up in the wall, and a cell, inside of which stood Bandit, who stared at him in utter amazement.

Snapping out of his daze, Antoine staggered towards Bandit's cell when twin lances of bright red light shot past him, just missing his right arm. The laser blasts had been so close that he could still feel the heat radiating off them through his uniform sleeve. Spinning around, he saw the Combot standing outside the smoking, ruined remains of the door, its unnaturally shiny, lifeless eyes still gleaming brilliant red from just having fired its optic beams.

With horror, Antoine realized the initial high he had felt was inexplicably ebbing away, his adrenaline being replaced by exhaustion and dizziness. This had never happened before. Panic began to take over. He desperately wanted to make sure Bandit was alright, but feared taking his eyes off the Combot, which had stepped into the room with him. A single moment of distraction on his part was all it needed, and it would kill him. Antoine's sword had been knocked from his grasp when the Combot struck him, and he saw nothing around him in the way of potential weaponry. He couldn't avoid the Combot forever.

As the Combot started to approach, Antoine backed away towards one corner of the room. He understood why Kasimir and Robotnik employed robots. They were relentless, never tiring. They wouldn't stopped until their task was either complete or they had been destroyed. Fighting them wasn't as fun as he initially thought it was. At least the last time he had done it he’d had Stormblaze with him to help out.

Suddenly, the robot found itself under attack – from Bandit, who leapt onto its back and wrapped his arms around its neck. He had gotten free when the Combot's optic beans had seared through the bars of his cell. "Run kid!"

In spite of the warning, Antoine was unwilling to leave Bandit there to face the murderous Combot alone. Instead he charged the Combot, hoping to knock it over and give both himself and Bandit a chance to escape.

The Combot had been trying to shake Bandit off, and the combination of having to deal with both him and Antoine ramming into its legs with his shoulder knocked the robot off balance slightly. It quickly recovered though, and reaching around, made a grab for the dog. Bandit, who was struggling to reach the panel door located on the Combot's neck in the hopes of ripping out the wiring inside and stopping the robot, tried to avoid its grasp, but one hand closed around his left ankle. Bandit was renowned as a superbly skilled fighter, but was no match for the Combot's raw strength. It flung him across the room as though he weighed nothing.

Seeing Bandit go flying, Antoine gasped. He made a run for the doorway, knowing that his sabre was out there somewhere, but the Combot intercepted him. Seizing him by the neck, it lifted him off the ground. Antoine let out a pained cry as the terrible pressure around his throat intensified as the Combot tightened its grip.

There was no inner voice encouraging Antoine now, telling him what a great fighter he was and how he needed to keep fighting. Just silence. This time he’d really allowed his ego to get the best of him, and now he was paying for it dearly. He was no indestructible one-Mobian army. He was just some stupid teenager who happened to stumble into an extraordinary situation. At least he had managed to give a good account of himself before he was going to die, he supposed. Even his old teammates would have been proud of him if they could have witnessed him in action. He couldn't help wondering if anybody would mourn him. Bandit (if he miraculously managed to survive this mess – Antoine hoped he would), Juniper, and the rest of the Maddogs likely would.

The Knothole Freedom Fighters – well, they had no clue where he was, and it was uncertain if they would ever have any knowledge of his fate. But even if they were somehow made aware of his demise, he didn't really know if any of them liked him well enough to be very upset about it for long. He had wanted so badly to prove that he deserved to be called one of them, but now would never get that opportunity. There was also Stormblaze, but Antoine had distanced himself from him over the past few weeks. He hated that his last moments with his mentor had consisted of them being at one another's throats. Once again it would seem he had ruined yet another friendship. Maybe he was just the type of person who was never meant to have friends in the first place.

Shutting his eyes, Antoine gritted his teeth but bowed his head in acceptance of what was to come. The least he could do was meet his end with some dignity.

Incredibly enough, the pressure around his neck suddenly went away. Antoine was dimly aware of falling and hitting the floor. He lay there gulping in air like there was no tomorrow. His eyelids weakly fluttered open, and he was greeted by the sight of Stormblaze standing there, spatha drawn and tail angrily lashing the air as he squared off against the Combot. The Combot's arm had been completely severed at the elbow, and lay sparking and writhing on the floor a few feet away.

Deeming Stormblaze to be a bigger threat then the half-strangled coydog, the robot raised its remaining arm in Stormblaze's direction. Not wanting to give the Combot an opportunity to use whatever tricks it had up its sleeve, Stormblaze surged forward. Before the Combot could react, he barreled into it like a runaway train, slamming it into the wall. Recovering, the Combot sprang at him.

As the two combatants rolled around on the floor grappling with one another, they seemed equally matched in strength. The Combot, who was kneeling over Stormblaze, tried to use its optic beams again, but seeing what it was up to, Stormblaze roughly grabbed it by the jaw and quickly forced its head up. His action averted much of the blast, which struck the ceiling instead and only left him with a small laser burn on his right shoulder.

Managing to work his hooves under the Combot, more specifically the area where its stomach would be if it actually had one, Stormblaze bucked out with all his might. He succeeded in kicking the Combot off him and knocking it into the wall a second time. The machine rose again, but now its formerly smooth, polished exterior was battered and dented. It would seem that the Combot had met its match.

Stormblaze, now back on his hooves, was prepared to finish the battle once and for all when the Combot lifted its arm again. The tips of its fingers popped open, and two dart-like electrodes connected to wires flew out at Stormblaze. The electrodes hit the front of his tunic and clung there. The crackle of electricity suddenly became audible, and before Stormblaze could react, electricity flowed through the wires, the electrodes, and straight into him, eliciting a roar of pain in response. He was rendered completely immobile as volts of electricity coursed through his body.

When the flow of electricity ceased, Stormblaze fell limply to the floor. The spatha slipped from his grasp, landing with a metallic clatter. Retracting its tazer back into its fingers, the Combot came to stand over Stormblaze. By then, Antoine had recovered sufficiently enough to have witnessed the whole incident in mute horror. He was certain that Stormblaze was going to spring up and wreak bloody vengeance upon the robot, but he stayed motionless. Angling its head down at its victim, the Combot's optics began glowing bright red. _'It's going to use its optic beams.'_   Antoine numbly realized. Still, Stormblaze did not move a muscle.

Summoning all of his willpower, Antoine forced himself up on unsteady legs, jaw clenching with the effort. He didn't know exactly what he was about to do, but did know that he was not going to sit idly by and watched Stormblaze be murdered by a robot. He didn't care if the Combot killed him. He _had_ to save Stormblaze.

He jumped back in surprise, nearly falling over himself when Stormblaze launched himself at the Combot's legs, moving with an astonishing speed that Antoine had never seen him display before. The surprise attack knocked the Combot right off its feet and sent it crashing to the floor. Throwing himself on his enemy, Stormblaze made a grab for one of the long spikes which studded its shoulders. The spike broke away in his hand with a sharp snap. He rammed the spike right between the Combot's optics. The robot managed to push itself away from him, arm wildly flailing through the air and sparks of electricity flying from its ruined face. It staggered a few feet away before collapsing, still sparking. Its body seemed to spasm once before its optics finally went dark, signaling that it was offline.

Satisfied that the Combot was no longer a threat, Stormblaze slumped to the floor and fell there, chest heaving up and down as he breathed heavily. Scurrying over, Antoine knelt at his side.

"Stormblaze?" Antoine's voice quavered slightly as he looked down at him. Stormblaze's eyes were closed, and he gave no sign of having heard Antoine. Antoine knew full-well what the agony of electrocution was like. Two years ago, while he, Sally, and Bunnie were out on a simple scouting mission to spy on a new factory being built by Robotnik, the three Freedom Fighters had been surprised by a few SWATBots. Typically, Antoine would wear leather gloves to protect himself from the electrical shock that would result whenever one stabbed a SWATBot in its processor, but he didn't really think they would encounter any and therefore had left his gloves at home. In the resulting skirmish, he had made the mistake of impaling one through the chest with his sabre in a rare display of bravado. It had stopped the SWATBot, but his blade had also acted as a conductor for the electrical current. The sheer force of the resulting shock had sent him rocketing back at least eight feet and left him with painful burns on his hands. He had been taken back to Knothole, where Rosie, aided by Bunnie, had tended to his injuries. The experience had given him some knowledge about electrical shock and what to do when it came to treating someone who had received one.

Stormblaze did have one advantage in his corner that Antoine didn't have -- healing powers. If his body was healing itself, then that would account for his listlessness. Lowering his head to Stormblaze's chest, Antoine listened to his heartbeat. It sounded more rapid than normal for him. But was that due to the shock, or was it because of his powers?

"I _hate_ robots. Whoever invented 'em needs to be shot." Antoine turned to see Bandit sitting up, gingerly rubbing the back of his head. It didn't take the dog long to notice the "dead" Combot and Stormblaze. "What happened?"

"The Combot, it was electrifying him!" Antoine replied, anxiety making his voice shrill.

Bandit came over and bent down next to Antoine, countenance grim as he took a closer look at Stormblaze for himself. "He's breathing, so that's one good thing. Combot tazers usually have a higher setting then normal ones do." His eyes traveled back to Antoine. "Not to sound coldblooded or anything kid, but we really need to get out of here. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get him -" He gestured to Stormblaze "- and us some medical treatment."

A shock victim wasn't supposed to be moved, but Antoine knew Bandit was right. They couldn't afford to wait for Stormblaze to recover. Someone was sure to have noticed all the commotion caused by the brawl by now and was probably coming to investigate. But he wasn't sure how the two of them would even be able to move Stormblaze's bulk.

" _S'il vous plaît être bien_!" Antoine murmured as he hovered over Stormblaze, frantically wringing his hands. Only the sound of Stormblaze's breath coming in and out noisy pants could be heard. Antoine failed to notice Bandit rest a hand on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

Stormblaze slid one eyelid open and trained his vision on Antoine's worried face. "Don't know… much French."

Antoine perked up. "You are alright!"

Stormblaze grunted in affirmation. "Well, I feel tired and rather odd, but I will be fine." Saying just those few words seemed to drain him, and when he spoke again, his voice was faint and faltering. "That… robot… he was a… strong bugger."

With Antoine and Bandit's assistance, Stormblaze managed to get up. "Haven't been shocked too many times before. Takes me a while to shake off the effects." He explained, sounding almost apologetic as he glanced wearily between the two canines.

Bandit was quick to refocus their attention on the main problem at hand. "That window's our only way out," He urgently stated before casting a glance behind them at the doorway. "I wouldn't chance trying to go back the other way."

Indeed, Antoine could already hear angry, hurried shouts coming closer and closer to their location – the guards, most likely. He couldn't determine exactly how many there were in total, but thought it very likely that they had Stormblaze, Bandit, and himself outnumbered.

"Allow me." Walking up to the window, Stormblaze took hold of the bars. Putting one hoof up against the wall in order to brace himself, he pulled with all his might. As he strained, the bars as well as part of the masonry came away in his hands. Tossing the debris aside (which Antoine and Bandit then set in front of the doorway in order to trip up their unwanted visitors), he aimed several good kicks at the weakened wall until there was a gap there big enough for him to fit through, though the entire task took him much longer then it would have had he been at full strength.

Peering out from the hole, Antoine was slightly surprised to see that it was nighttime. Since having been jailed, he had completely lost track of time, although he knew he hadn't been there any longer than a day. The hole also presented the three of them with a clear view of the dark moat below. He did not relish the idea of having to jump into <i> _that_. Robots were one thing, but heights were another matter entirely. There was no Anubia here to teleport them to safety.

Antoine's fearful thoughts were cut off as Stormblaze unexpectedly picked him up with one hand and then seized Bandit in the other. With the still-surprised canines tucked under his arms, Stormblaze took a few steps back, then, broke into a run and hurled himself out the hole.

Roughly around that same time, a dozen armed guards clad in full riot gear burst into the room. Some did stumble over the debris lying around, but those who were positioned in front and still standing began strafing the area with gunfire. Seeing their intended targets get away, the guards pressed forward. Leaning from out of the freshly-made escape route, they resumed blasting away at the spot where they thought the escapees might have fallen, hoping to hit at least one of them.

"Cease fire!" Their commander, a rooster, roared. When the hail of bullets ended, the bird pushed his way through his men and stuck his head out the hole to have a look for himself. The racket produced by the gunfire had covered up the splashes that the Bandit and the other two should have made when they hit the moat, but the water's surface still reverberated with large ripples. Wherever they were, they couldn't have gotten far.

Freeing the radio hanging at his side in one of the pouches on his duty belt, the rooster spoke into it. "This is Captain Halcombe. Focus the spotlights on the east side of the moat!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French translations: S'il vous plaît être bien: Please be well.


	15. Chapter 15

When Antoine hit the water with a loud splash and sank below its surface, his instincts automatically kicked in and he swam for it. Something was whizzing past him through the water, but he couldn't tell what it was. Even though he had jumped with both Stormblaze and Bandit, they had become separated, and he wasn't sure what had happened to them. He didn't dare try to dogpaddle, not wanting the noise to attract the guards.

He resurfaced among the reeds that grew thick along the moat's shore. Recognizing the sound of gunfire and seeing muzzle flashes illuminating the darkness above, he realized the guards were still firing at the area where he, Stormblaze, and Bandit had fallen. The objects he had sensed zipping past him in the water must have been bullets. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Kasimir had his henchmen using guns.

Pushing aside his sodden bangs, which were plastered to his forehead, with the back of a hand, Antoine anxiously searched for some sign of his companions, but saw nothing. He hoped they were alright. For the first time he noticed there was no moon out that night. He desperately wished it were a full moon, or daylight; he could see nothing under the murky water in the dark.

By then, the guards had stopped firing, and Antoine distinctly heard one of them, the one who had identified himself as their captain, radio for searchlights to focus on the moat.

"Antoine!" A voice hissed from nearby. To Antoine's relief, he saw Bandit swimming towards him and towing something along as he did. Antoine's relief turned to worry when he recognized the motionless mass as Stormblaze. Immediately he swam over to help Bandit pull Stormblaze onto dry land.

"I think he was hit." Bandit explained, making sure to keep his voice low.

"Can you tell where?" Antoine asked. The same darkness that helped to hide the three of them now posed a potentially serious problem. Even though the canines' night vision was superior to that of an Overlander’s, even their eyes had trouble finding the bullet hole, though both could smell the coppery scent of blood on Stormblaze amidst the somewhat musty odor of moat water.

Bandit sighed. "Not in this light. Look, I got a little cabin hidden in the woods a few miles from here. I don't know how bad off he is, but if we get him there quickly enough we could get him some help. What do you say?"

Antoine mulled over their options. The guards would be searching high and low for them. The trio could either try making a run for the cabin while Stormblaze possibly bled to death from his wound (if it was indeed that serious), or attempt to find a hiding place and wait there until things died down while… Stormblaze possibly bled to death. He didn't like their chances. However, the eerie wail of a siren, warning of the prisoners’ escape, made his decision for him.

It wasn't easy by any means, but somehow he and Bandit, working together, managed to drag Stormblaze along with them through the wilderness. Aside from mumbling to himself in what seemed to be fever dreams, Stormblaze hadn't really regained consciousness, much to their concern. Whenever they chanced across a stream or other body of water, they made sure to walk through it. If the guards were using Tasmanian devil beasts to hunt them down (which Bandit said was highly likely), then the creatures would be tracking them by scent, so passing through water would help to throw them off their trail. None of them were in any condition to fight - Antoine and Bandit were both hurt and exhausted, and Antoine didn't know if his powers were working again or not.

Along the way, they were forced to stop and rest several times, but not too long. The raucous, decidedly hair-raising snarls and screams of the Tasmanian devil beasts could be heard echoing across the pastureland and through the trees. The feral marsupials, which were native to the continent of Downunda, could be domesticated to an extent, and were ideal for hunting and tracking. The Acorns' royal guards had kept a few for the purpose of tracking runaway prisoners, and the animals had always given Antoine the creeps whenever he happened by their kennels.

Time seemed to slow to an excruciating crawl. Antoine was on full alert, starting at every little sound he heard. He didn't know how close they were to being discovered, but he had no intention of giving up and allowing Bandit, Stormblaze, and himself to be re-captured.

It was when the dark horizon started to brighten with the coming of first light that they finally located Bandit's cabin. The little structure was nestled in a little clearing located within a small section of woodland. They nearly missed seeing it.

After retrieving the door key from beneath the porch steps where he’d hidden it, Bandit unlocked the door, and he and Antoine brought Stormblaze inside. Stormblaze seemed to be more lucid now than before and was able to better support himself as well.

Inside, there was just one large area that seemed to be the sitting room, which had a fireplace, and a kitchen that was smaller in size. Owing to the lack of room, there weren't many furnishings. There was a little bed pushed to one side of the sitting room, as well as a small refrigerator, a card table, and a few chairs, and that was basically it. It was tidy though, other than a thin layer of dust that had collected on the card table and countertop. A couple of windows located on either side of the sitting room allowed for light from the outside in, though since it was still very early in the morning there wasn't much of that.

Taking the pillows, a quilt, and a couple of blankets from off the bed, Bandit spread them out on the floor for Stormblaze's use. As the unicorn lay on his side, Bandit and Antoine examined him before finally discovering a small round hole in his right arm. It was still moist with dark red-colored blood, but wasn't spurting blood or anything else of that nature.

"It doesn't look too deep," Bandit informed Antoine, who was looking on from over his shoulder. "I'm thinking we should just leave the bullet until we can send for somebody like Doc Herdwick or Juniper."

"Are you sure that is being the right thing to do? Won't that hurt him?"

Bandit laughed shortly. "Oh yeah, it hurts like hell. But I'd rather not go poking around inside the bullet hole and cause even more damage."

To their surprise, Stormblaze suddenly grabbed hold of Bandit's wrist. "Take the blasted thing out!" He croaked.

Bandit stared back at him. "You sure? The only medical knowledge I got is first aid and CPR."

Stormblaze didn't waver. "Positive."

It began to dawn on Antoine as to why Stormblaze wanted them to go ahead and remove the bullet. Antoine still didn't completely understand the intricacies of a unicorn's healing powers, but from what he had gathered from the things Stormblaze had shared with him before (Antoine had become reluctant to rely on the legends about unicorns, given that some information in them had either proven incorrect or lacking), once an obstruction, such as a spearhead, or in this case a bullet, was removed from the unicorn's body, their rapid healing would then begin working to mend their bodies.

Antoine turned to Bandit. "I am thinking Stormblaze might be right."

Bandit glanced between the two of them as though trying to decide who was crazier. Finally he shook his head. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. Go and get some cloth from out of the closet there, Tony," He indicated a closet door to their left. "Everything should already be clean, but make sure it is for certain, just in case. I haven't used this place in a while. I'm gonna go hunt down a first aid kit and see if I still got some whiskey left."

As Antoine did as he was told, Bandit started hunting for the hiding spot he used for stashing valuables and other items for safekeeping. When he was near the fireplace, he bent down and pried up one of the floorboards, revealing a hidden compartment below. Rummaging through the small space, he sighed in relief as he found what he’d been searching for, a bottle of whiskey. After replacing the floorboard, he went onto procure the first aid kit, as well as a few extras -- several plastic cups, a candle, and a lighter.

Setting the first aid kit on the floor and opening it, Bandit took out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a set of needle-nose pliers. While he had Antoine (who by then had returned with an armful of towels) pour a cup of whiskey, Bandit lit the candle, then held the pliers to the flame. When he was confident the fire had done its job of disinfecting the tool, he turned to Stormblaze and handed him the cup of whiskey. "I have shot glasses, but I thought a cup would be best."

Stormblaze was still lying in the same position as before, but now his eyes were open. His tunic sleeve had been rolled up to better reveal his injury. Accepting the cup from Bandit, he turned it up.

"Fetch me something to bite down on, preferably a stick." He requested after finishing his drink. Antoine obliged him, going outside and returning with a stick that was about a foot long in length. It seemed sturdy enough to withstand a bite from Stormblaze with all his force behind it.

Stick clamped between his jaws, Stormblaze was prepared now. Bandit told him to relax before going to work probing the bullet hole with the pliers, seeking the projectile. As expected, the wound began bleeding. Silently, Antoine watched the entire ordeal from where he sat in a chair he had positioned across from Bandit. A part of him was marveling at the fact that he hadn't passed out from the sight of blood yet. Bunnie, who was the first person other than Rosie that the Knotholers would turn to in situations requiring first aid or the like, had a much stronger stomach for this sort of thing then he did.

Stormblaze was not enjoying himself at all to lightly put it, but his clenched hands and the grinding of his teeth against the wood were the only signs of discomfort he would allow himself to show. Bandit was concentrating deeply, but he too maintained an excellent poker face. He worked slowly and deliberately so as not to strike any veins. Finally, he uttered a little cry of victory as he drew out a blood-coated bullet that had a tiny scrap of cloth stuck to it. He placed the small object on the floor beside the first aid kit.

His breathing heavy and shaky, Stormblaze maintained his silence as Bandit took one of the towels and began cleaning up the blood. Antoine tightly wrapped Stormblaze's forearm with some bandages he had taken from the first aid kit.

"Okay, I _never_ want to do that again," Bandit announced, standing and brushing off his pants before looking Antoine's way. "You really need to get some sleep kid."

"Perhaps." Antoine reluctantly admitted as he watched Stormblaze, unwilling to leave his side until absolutely certain that he was faring better. Stormblaze’s head was once more resting on the pillows, and his eyes were closed. It was a wonder he hadn't passed out during the procedure; the whiskey would have done nothing for him.

"I wish I had a mirror so you could see what you look like. Seriously, you look like hell."

"Really?" After the night they had, Antoine figured that he probably looked like something that had crawled out of a gutter, but wondered if he really did look that horrible. Noticing Bandit going towards the front door, he called out after him, "Where you are going? You are not exactly looking like the freshest of flowers either."

"I need to make sure we didn't leave a trail for Kassie's thugs to follow." Bandit replied, opening the door as he did. He stopped to turn and point at Antoine, his expression severe. "You -- stay put and rest."

Though he knew Bandit was right, Antoine still couldn't resist rolling his eyes and muttering, " _Oui_ papa" under his breath. He wondered if it was wise for Bandit to go out by himself. But then again, someone had to stay here and keep an eye on Stormblaze. Sighing exhaustedly, Antoine returned to his seat. He could see that Stormblaze's breathing had slowed to a more normal rate, and he appeared to be resting more peacefully now. Antoine struggled to not fall asleep himself, but he had been awake for most of the past twenty-four hours, and it became a struggle for him just to keep his eyes open. As he finally lost himself to the lure of slumber, his head lolled forward, starting him into wakefulness. Vigorously shaking his head, he jumped to his feet, hoping that a quick walk would stave off the temptation to nap. When Antoine was satisfied that he was fully awake, he sat back down and resumed his watch. Eventually however, he lost the war and dozed off.

Waking sometime later, Antoine yawned as he sat up and looked around. It was still daylight, though the sun was shining much brighter now, so he guessed he hadn't slept for too long, much to his relief. Even so, he noticed that he was feeling somewhat better after his rest.

Seeing Stormblaze stir, he hurried over. Awaking, Stormblaze glanced around, obviously confused as to their location, so Antoine took the liberty of explaining what had happened after their escape from the tower.

When Antoine was finished, Stormblaze asked, "Have you been watching over me this entire time?"

"But of course! I have never been seeing you look so sick before, and I was not knowing if you were going to be alright. I could not just leave you here by yourself." The fact that Stormblaze was staring at him strangely, almost like he didn't recognize him, did not escape Antoine.

"It was just a healing trance, that's all." Stormblaze stood up and began stretching. "I thought that you would be eager to return to your gir – the Maddogs. Not spending time fretting over some plug like myself."

Antoine realized Stormblaze had been about to say "his girlfriend” before catching himself, but was more than willing to overlook it. He was just glad Stormblaze was safe. "How are you feeling now? Are you alright?"

"Much better than before, thank you. I am certain it was a combination of trying to recover from the tazer and being shot that had me so exhausted. I suppose I'll have to keep this on for appearances." He held up his bandaged forearm.

“If alcohol does not work on you, then why did you take the whiskey?”

“I just felt like having some.”

For a moment, neither said anything. Stormblaze was the first to break the silence. "I hope you are not too upset at me for interrupting your fight with the Combot."

Shaking his head, Antoine had to glance away. "Do not be worrying. I have been… acting like an idiot lately." Stormblaze didn't respond, but Antoine knew he agreed with his admission. " _Merci beaucoup_ for saving _mon_ life." He nodded at Stormblaze, flashing him a smile of gratitude as he did.

In all of the time they had spent together, Stormblaze had gradually come to understand what a few of the French words and terms Antoine would use meant. "Merci beaucoup" was one of them. He returned the smile, and saw some of the tension in Antoine's shoulders melt away, though of course he could tell his little friend was still troubled. "You are quite welcome."

Although Antoine was ashamed of his recent behavior, he was not going to allow pride to hold him back and keep him from saying what he knew needed to be said. "I would like to talk about the Maddogs," He slowly began. "I have been pulling over this whole situation in my mind."

As Stormblaze would later jokingly say, he had become fluent in deciphering what he termed "Antoine-speak". Typically he would have corrected Antoine's malapropism, but wanted to see where he was going. "Yes?"

Antoine found himself too mortified to even meet Stormblaze's gaze, and so he stared at the floor instead. "I am being very sorry for how I have acted lately and for how I have treated you. I let all of the amazing things that I can now do go to _mon_ head. I was believing that asking anyone for help made me look weak. I was a fool." If Stormblaze no longer wanted Antoine to accompany him on his quest, then he would understand. Looking back, his behavior had been atrocious. Stormblaze had considered him a true friend, but he had failed miserably to live up to the role. He was no better than the kinds of Mobians Stormblaze hated. His father and Sir Connery would have never done such a thing, he thought. Stormblaze would go on to find someone who, unlike Antoine, was actually worthy to accompany him on his quest, and Antoine would be alone, just like before.

Wearing a grateful smile, Stormblaze inclined his head towards Antoine. "I accept your apology. Do not punish yourself too harshly. What’s done is done. But understand this: even the greatest of warriors cannot stand alone. He needs his comrades at his back to support him."

Relieved to hear that Stormblaze bore no grudges against him, Antoine lifted his eyes to look at him. "There is something I am not understanding. Or at least I was thinking that I understood this before. Now I am not sure if I do. What exactly is the difference between fighting by your _amies'_ sides and then relying on them to fight for you?"

"When you allow them to do all of the fighting and do not assist in any form or fashion. Comrades-in-arms watch each other's backs on the battlefield. One soldier cannot possibly face an entire army alone. Your comrades keep the enemy off your back while you focus on doing your duty – whether that is also fighting or something else."

Antoine nodded solemnly. He would keep that in mind.

"You know, I have not exactly behaved like an adult myself -- like when I told you that I did not care whether you remained here or returned to Knothole. I was angry then. It was just something that… came out. I apologize for upsetting you."

"It is alright. I think we both were saying things we were not meaning."

"True. If I may say one more thing about this though? It was also wrong of me to speak of the Maddogs so disparagingly. I have no objections to your making new friends, but... just try not to forget about old Stormblaze, hmm?" He smiled lopsidedly.

Antoine quickly shook his head. "Oh no, I will never do that again!"

"I realize that what happened to you on your journey with Luna and Seff has affected you. I will respect your wishes if you still wish to keep that tale private, but know that if you would like to talk about it, I am willing to listen."

Antoine contemplated his offer. Maybe if he told Stormblaze what he had gone through, it would be a step towards helping himself feel better. He really had nothing to lose in doing so anyways. Squaring his shoulders, he mentally prepared himself to finally tell his story.

"Are you remembering what Lupe said about the Cave Of Shadows?" He asked. When Stormblaze nodded he went on, explaining how he had seen in succession Sally, Sonic, and Rotor and what the two boys had shown him, as well as the revelation that it had all just been an illusion created by the Skinwalker.

"… But even if it was not being real, now I am finally seeing that that is how they are really feeling about _moi_. Those visions – they were being pulled from _mes_ mind and heart." Antoine was saying in a voice heavy with guilt and sadness as he tapped the spot on his chest where his heart was. "I am the eldest, but never acted like it! I am being just as childish as they are – no, worse! I was taught to behave justly and with honor, but I was not doing that. No wonder they are not respecting _moi_ any. I was blind to what was right in front of _mon_ own eyes!" He buried his face in his hands. "Then I was turning around and treating you badly! I am a terrible person!"

As he sat there listening to Antoine, Stormblaze understood why he had been so badly affected by his experience. If Stormblaze had been a sorcerer himself, he would have resurrected the Skinwalker and then killed the foul creature a second time. What Antoine had come to understand about both himself and his teammates had cut him to the core, and the Thunderbird's "gift" (Stormblaze still wasn't sure if he really wanted to call it that) had only served to further muddle his troubled mind. He wondered if Antoine's behavior would still have spun out of control the way it had had that factor not been in the picture. He also felt anger at the young residents of Knothole Village whose thoughtless actions had help to forge a continuous cycle of cruelty and callousness between them and Antoine. Antoine had played his part in it, but at least he understood his misdeeds now and admitted to them. A part of the unicorn told him he shouldn't judge the other Knothole Freedom Fighters so harshly without having even met any of them yet. They were young after all, merely teenagers. But his own harsh experiences with being treated as a pariah by most of his fellow unicorns made putting aside his wrath towards Antoine's teammates difficult. Hopefully, once they realized they hadn't handled the situation appropriately, they would be apologetic.

Stormblaze moved closer to his friend. Antoine kept his head lowered in an attempt to prevent Stormblaze from seeing that his eyes were shining with tears. What was it with him and crying? He knew Stormblaze would never give him any grief about it, but he still believed crying wasn't very masculine. Doing so in front of someone like Sonic would have no doubt gotten him laughed at and deemed a crybaby.

"There is no shame in shedding a few tears," Stormblaze reassured him. "In fact, I’d daresay that doing so would help you."

"Crying is for _enfants_. No real male would ever do it." Antoine mumbled in a strained voice.

Stormblaze's expression turned stern. "Hogwash. I used to believe all that 'real male' nonsense too. But the truth is that a male who cries is no weaker than one who expresses joy, anger, or hope. It's only natural for Mobians to display their emotions regardless of gender. Yes, there are situations in which one’s emotions should be kept in check, but otherwise, to constantly deny them would be unhealthy and make one… well, like a robot." In an aside he added, "I am the empath here, so this is my area of expertise."

Now intrigued enough to forget his embarrassment, Antoine eyed his mentor. "Have you ever cried before?"

"Oh yes. I cried when Sir Connery was killed, and when I was little, sometimes I would go off by myself to cry after being teased by Rience and the other fawns. Now, do you believe I am weak? "

Antoine vehemently shook his head. It was comforting to know that he wasn't effeminate or weak for being so sensitive.

"If you still desire to better yourself as a person, then I think you are almost there. Even the smartest or bravest of us can ignore their own faults and miss what is right under their noises. But you have come to recognize your mistakes and understand where you went wrong. Now it is up to you to go about righting those wrongs. You can make the other Freedom Fighters see that you have changed. I know you can."

Antoine wiped his wet eyes on the back of his sleeve, but a faint smile was now tugging at the corners of his mouth. " _Merci_. I am wanting to show everybody that I am a new person now. I do not know if I can, and I am being a little scared to return home, but… I guess I must be trying."

Smiling warmly, Stormblaze gave him an encouraging nod.

After a pause, Antoine said, "I miss talking like this to you. How are you being so wise?"

"I'm a unicorn," Stormblaze shrugged as though that explained everything. "No, actually, I just happened to have learned from the best. And I'm still not as wise as he was."

That was when the door opened and Bandit walked in, carrying with him a bushel of apples which Stormblaze hungrily eyeballed. "Hope you stayed out of trouble while I was out, Tony," He jokingly called out before addressing Stormblaze. "Well, I see you're awake and looking like your old self again. Except for that getup you're wearing. What, were you trying to get hired on at a hotel or something?"

Stormblaze glanced down at his clothing. He’d forgotten he was still wearing the moose servant's purloined outfit, not having had enough time to change back into his tunic, which he’d taken back to the Maddogs' base when he returned for his spatha before going to the penitentiary. "This? I needed a way to get inside Kasimir's house, so I, shall we say, borrowed this from one of his employees."

Until Bandit had just mentioned it, Stormblaze's uncharacteristic style of dress had completely slipped Antoine's notice as well. He gaped in astonishment at Stormblaze. " _You_ were actually pretending to be a servant?"

The memory earned a shudder from Stormblaze. "I have a great deal of sympathy for those Mobians, more then I once did. That is not a job I would ever wish on anyone. My worse enemies though -- well, I would gladly wish it upon them."

Antoine chuckled at that before returning his attention to Bandit, who deposited the apples on the table.

"Found some of these on the way back. I got some more stuff around here too." Bandit said, going over to the cabinets and digging through them. Unwilling to wait for him, Stormblaze practically pounced on an apple.

"Are the guards still out looking for us?" Antoine asked Bandit.

"It's almost a given they are, especially now that they have more light to search by. When I left earlier I saw 'em from a distance. They didn't spot me thank the Source, but we can't stay here long. They’re bound to come this way at some point. Old Kassie's probably having kittens right now – if you'll pardon the pun." Returning to the table with a box of crackers, cheese, summer sausage, and various other dried goods, he set his load down before taking a set across from Antoine and Stormblaze.

While the trio ate lunch, they continued discussing the situation at hand. Stormblaze finally learned how Antoine and Bandit had gotten arrested in the first place, and he told them how he had followed Fiona when she had snuck away to meet Kasimir and listened in on their conversation.

"I say we make Fiona pay for what she has done!" Antoine snarled, slamming a fist against the tabletop. Hearing Stormblaze's story and remembering how Fiona had betrayed him and Bandit caused his fury to return in full force.

"Whoa, settle down killer." Bandit attempted to soothe him. "I wanna see Fiona get what's coming to her too, but we gotta be crafty about it. If we run in with our guns blazing, she'll just take off like a greyhound with its tail on fire."

Stormblaze’s ears flicked towards Bandit. "What did you have in mind?"

Bandit smiled deviously. "That we expose her as the traitor she is in front of everybody." As he went onto explained his plan, Stormblaze and Antoine both started grinning."Oh, that sounds simply spectacular." Stormblaze rubbed his hands together, delighted. "So when do you propose we return?"

"We can leave now, actually. Fiona might be a smart cookie, but she also follows a routine that makes her as predictable as clockwork. She should be out now -- probably off seeing her new boyfriend Kassie or something."

As Antoine, Stormblaze, and Bandit made their way back to the junkyard, they maintained constant vigilance against danger. With three sets of ears, eyes, and noses all working together, it was more than likely that they would spot trouble first before being seen themselves. On the other hand though, the fact that there weren't many trees or other forms of cover in the area also meant that any enemies would be able to just as easily see them.

Mindful of what Stormblaze had suffered through, Bandit asked him how his arm was doing. Stormblaze replied that he was managing, and that they shouldn't hamper their progress for his sake. Watching the two of them interact, Antoine was glad to see Stormblaze being civil and even friendly towards Bandit. With the few friends he had, Antoine didn't need them being jealous of one another. It then occurred to him that Bandit had one less friend now. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Bandit to discover that Fiona secretly hated him enough to betray him without any compunction. It was like if Sir Aleron's trusted squire and good friend Roland had chosen to deliver him up to the Overlord. When he was being held captive, Antoine realized that on the night he had encountered Fiona in the junkyard, she had most likely been on her way to see Kasimir. If he had only known what she was plotting he could've foiled her right then and there. Struck by a pang of regret, his ears drooped slightly.

"I am very sorry that Fiona was doing this terrible thing to you." He told Bandit. "I wish I was realizing what she had really been up to."

Bandit threw him a sidelong glance. "What are you apologizing for, kid? Sure, it would've been nice if we could've found out what Fiona was up to earlier, but how was anyone to know? We ain't psychic or anything. We just have to catch her and make her face justice now. Y'know, I could tell in the last few years she was starting to resent me, but I guess I didn't want to believe it because I thought she and I were still friends."

"'Tis a shame you and the other Maddogs must leave your home." Stormblaze put in somberly. "I am certain all of you have done enough of that already." Bandit had already decided that the Maddogs would have to go stay in a temporary hideout until a new one could either be found or built. The security of their current headquarters had most likely been compromised because of Fiona, and he was not about to take any chances, as he had explained earlier.

"I admit I'm gonna miss the place. But I'd rather be minus a base then minus any of my dogs. And really, what's one more move? It's something everybody risks having to do once they get into this line of work. I have a feeling this isn't going to be the last time we're gonna have to get out of Dodge – leave town." Bandit elucidated the idiom for Antoine's benefit when he saw a look of confusion cross his face. "You still coming with, kid?"

"Huh?" Antoine had to think before recalling the day when Bandit, Suki, and Bonehead had approached him about joining the Maddogs. "Oh!"Antoine didn't have to look in Stormblaze's direction to know that his eyes were on him, and was hit by a wave of guilt and embarrassment as a result. Truth be told, he had forgotten that he had even taken up Bandit on his invitation. "I am not wanting to seem like I am backing out because I am scared or something, but I really should have said this before," He admitted shamefacedly. Now he worried as to how Bandit was going to react to what he was about to say. "When I was agreeing to become a Maddog, I am afraid I was not thinking clearly and did not put any thought into my decision. I am truly honored by your offer – but there is unfinished business I must be taking care of back in the Kingdom of Acorn, and... Well, I am not really sure if my destiny is with the Maddogs. I hope you are not disappointed in _moi_."

"Hey, it's fine. I completely get it," Bandit assured him. "You wanna get out there and find yourself, sow your wild oats, that sort of thing."

Antoine tilted his head to one side slightly. "Sow my wild oats?"

Bandit grinned his trademark mischievous grin. "You know! Meeting girls, gettin’ laid? What do you guys call it in Mercia?"

"Oh, er..." Antoine started to mumble, scratching at the back of his neck. Many English phrases may have been lost on him, but he was certain he now understood what Bandit was inferring. Most males loved talking about this sort of thing, or so Antoine believed, but he chose to quickly change the topic. Not only did it embarrass him, but he didn't want to display his inexperience in front of Bandit.

Stormblaze interrupted the conversation. “Where did you learn to do that? Remove a bullet, I mean?”

“This old guy back in my hometown taught me. He knew a lot about the body, but was kinda off his rocker. I guess having to dispose of dead people will do that to a person.” For once he wasn’t smiling.

In spite of the morbid turn of conversation, Antoine did feel glad that Stormblaze had jumped in. He let the two of them talk as he turned his mind to thoughts of Fiona. She probably thought she had seen the last of Bandit. He couldn’t wait to see her face justice for what she had done to them.


	16. Chapter 16

After her meeting with Kasimir yesterday evening, Fiona had returned to the Maddogs' hideout. At the moment she was in her personal quarters. Her room had been sumptuously decorated in dark velvet and housed the many personal possessions she had accumulated over time. Presently, Fiona was occupied with studying herself in a wall-mounted ornamental mirror. She was experimenting with making varying expressions of worry and sadness and mingling the two before finally deciding on the mien she felt looked the most realistic as well as being the best suited for what she was about to do. Satisfied, she went onto primp herself, paying particularly close attention to her pride and joy, her luxuriant headfur and tail.

Fiona knew she needed to carefully maintain the appropriate reaction when she delivered the "tragic news" about Bandit and Antoine to the rest of the Maddogs in order to be believable, but it was a little hard for her to keep a self-satisfied smirk off her face. After all, one of her hated enemies had finally been disposed of with no strings attached. With Kasimir's backing from behind the scenes, the Maddogs would rise to become one of the Great Continent's most formidable criminal syndicates, just like they’d been in the days before that bloated Overlander Robotnik's takeover. That was the way things should be.

Her plan was to announce that she had discovered Bandit's bandanna, which she still had in her possession, lying on the ground by the roadway, but could find no other trace of Bandit and nothing of Antoine. That little discovery would definitely seem ominous to the other Maddogs. They knew that under normal circumstances Bandit would never willingly part with his bandanna. Fiona would then go on to say that she would try to lead the Maddogs as best she could in Bandit's absence until he could be found. Bandit was very popular, true, but Fiona was just as well-liked by their teammates, aside from a few exceptions like Suki. But any dissenters and undesirables would be taken care of in due time – as any Freedom Fighter knew from day one, their lifestyle was a very dangerous one, and it was all too easy to see a comrade suddenly die in the line of duty…

When she was done with her personal grooming, Fiona exited her quarters and started making her way to the main office, where she intended to announce over the intercom that everybody needed to come to the Commons for an important meeting. She stopped, triangular ears perking up as she caught the sounds of activity and chatter coming from the direction of the Commons. It would seem that the rest of the Maddogs were already there, and something had them excited. Good, that saved her the trouble of having to wait for everybody to show up. Intrigued, she switched directions and headed that way.

Stepping into the large space, she noticed that much of the crowd was concentrated towards the front of the room. She began threading her way through the mass of Mobians to find out what was going on. "Hey guys, wh --" The words died in Fiona's throat, and she staggered back a few steps, not believing what she was seeing. Bandit, along with Antoine, were sitting together at one of the tables.

Seeing her reaction, Bandit shrugged. "I'm gonna need my bandanna back, doll."

To her credit, Fiona managed to recover her poise – somewhat. Taming her horrified shock into a look of amazement, she blurted out, "Bandit! Antoine! Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day!"

"It's really quite interesting that you should say that," Stormblaze drawled from where he was sitting on Antoine's left. "Yesterday afternoon, I overheard you telling them --" He pointed to Juniper and Trip, "That you had seen neither Antoine nor Bandit since they left that morning."

"That's true." Juniper confirmed, watching Fiona carefully.

"But now you say you haven't seen them all day," Stormblaze finished. "So which is it?"

The cafeteria fell deathly silent. All eyes, many of them either mystified, astonished, or simmering with suspicion, turned to Fiona, waiting to see how she would respond.

For her part, the vixen fixed Stormblaze with a venomous look. "I don't know what on Mobius you're going on about, hay-breath. All I meant was that I haven't seen them since yesterday morning. It was just a slip of the tongue, okay?"

From the time Fiona had set foot inside the Commons, Antoine hadn't said a single word, only glaring hatefully at her instead. Even though Bandit and Stormblaze had attempted to pacify him before everyone arrived, once Antoine had beheld Fiona again he felt blazing-hot anger rise within him. He completely despised traitors. They stood against everything he believed in. Even in his old cowardly days the idea of betraying the other Knothole Freedom Fighters to their enemies had never once crossed his mind, regardless of how much they ignored and maltreated him. Yet Fiona had been well-respected and liked among the Maddogs. How could she turn on them the way she had?

"If I may?" Anubia suddenly stepped forward. "Instead of hurling accusations at one another, shall I use my magic to read Fiona and see whether she is telling us the truth or not?" Turning away from the audience to Fiona, she added with an innocent smile, "That is, if it is acceptable by you."

Growling lightly, Fiona maneuvered out of the taller canine's reach. "I didn't expect to be grilled over something as petty as an innocent remark! So now you guys don't trust me enough to take my word for it?"

"No." Came Suki’s blunt answer. By that point, she and Dag had separated themselves from the rest of the Maddogs and were now hovering over Fiona, Suki standing on one side and Dag on the other.

Aware of their close proximity to her, Fiona kept a careful eye on the two intimidating dogs, but didn't attempt to move away this time. Instead she sneered at Suki, exposing a sharp white fang. "Of course _you_ wouldn't. You've had it out for me since day one!" Fiona turned pleading ice blue eyes on the rest of the Maddogs. "Who are you guys gonna believe – me, or some outsider?" She demanded, pointing at Stormblaze.

"Where you been sneakin' out to late at night, Fiona?" That was Bandit. Although his voice was quiet, somehow it seemed loud inside the packed space. "Barkerville told me you've been late to dinner every other week this month. Have you been having dinner somewhere else? With _somebody_ else, maybe?"

"I don't have to sit here and take this!" Fiona angrily insisted. However, she had begun carefully edging away from her audience, inching towards a doorway that was behind her as Dag and Suki advanced on her.

Antoine made to join them, but Bandit stopped him. "It's alright. Suki and Dag have this." Staring coldly at their nemesis, Bandit continued putting Fiona on the spot with his queries. "If you wanna clear your name so badly, then why don't you let Anubia help you? Why are you dodging our questions and not answering them?"

"Because you and everyone else are being a bunch of paranoid lunatics!" Fiona snapped.

Suddenly, Dag and Suki made a grab for Fiona at roughly the same time, but she was quicker, nimbly dodging them before fleeing out the door and down the hall.

"Get 'er!" Dag snarled as he, Suki, and several other Maddogs gave chase.

________________________________________

By the time Dag and the other Maddogs returned minus Fiona, Bandit had finished explaining to everyone that they needed to leave the base for their own safety and should immediately begin gathering anything of importance, like medical supplies, clothing, water, and food, as well as anything that they greatly valued but wouldn't slow down their escape. Antoine and Stormblaze decided to pitch in and lend their aid. At the moment Antoine was in the kitchen, helping Bando and two other Maddogs with collecting foodstuffs and cooking supplies to take.

When Suki poked her head in asking to see Bando, the hound dog left to confer with her. Antoine kept working. When he heard the kitchen door open again, he expected it to be Bando or Stormblaze, but Barkerville walked in instead. Seeing Antoine there, the Labrador retriever hesitated momentarily before finally drawing himself up and striding over to the other side of the room, far from where Antoine was.

"Antoine." He acknowledged in a clipped tone of voice as he threw open the cupboard doors, began taking out provisions, and set them out on the countertop in order to be packed away. That was about as polite as Barkerville would get when it came to Antoine.

"Barkerville." Antoine replied just as frostily, not bothering to look up. _'Annoying old mongrel.'_ He sullenly thought. _'Sometimes adults act about as badly as teenagers do.'_ Though he couldn't say much about that, Antoine realized, considering his own conduct towards the other Freedom Fighters.

It would've been all too easy to keep ignoring Barkerville like he had been doing the entire time, but truthfully that was getting neither of them anywhere. It would be more mature of him to go speak to Barkerville and try to get him to understand that there was no need for him to carry on the way he was.

Antoine went over to where Barkerville was still working. " _Monsieur_?" He began, waiting patiently until he had the dog's complete attention. Choosing to ignore the slightly suspicious stare Barkerville was leveling at him, Antoine went on. "You are not needing to worry about your job. Really. I am to be leaving soon."

Barkerville continued to stare, though the glint of mistrust that had been in his eyes was now extinguished. He actually seemed unsure of how to respond. "Oh… Er… Well then, good luck, I suppose."

"You did not need to be so worried in the first place. I would never do something so dishonorable as taking someone else's job."

Barkerville grunted in response and resumed working. "I see that now."

"Pardon _moi_?" Even though Barkerville had muttered those last four words, Antoine had clearly heard him. He just wanted him to expound on what he meant.

"I eventually did realize that you weren't after my job. But I still thought some of the others wanted to give it to you, and by then things had progressed so far that I really didn't know what to do. I... guess it was just easier for me to take my feelings out on you."

It wasn't quite the apology that Antoine was hoping for, but at least Barkerville was being honest and understood that his conduct had been wrong. "Well, maybe when I am crossing paths with the Maddogs again, we could be cooking together and I can show you some tips?" He helpfully offered.

Barkerville's gaze turned cold. "You're getting ahead of yourself again, pup." Seeing Antoine frown, he sighed guiltily and massaged his forehead. "Wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. In fact, I… I suppose I should apologize for my prior behavior as well. You must understand, this is all rather hard for me to come out and admit. I used to think that I was quite the cook. You see, I was once the well-respected head of a prestigious hotel chain across the country. I performed my job well, and my guests praised my establishments highly. When this horrible war broke out, I wanted to help our side, but there seemed to be no place for someone of my talents," He spread his arms, gesturing to himself. "Clearly I'm not cut out to be a soldier or a scout. So I thought I could help by making meals for everyone. I've seen staff at my hotels and my housekeeper cook for us – me - so I thought maybe I could do the same thing. Then when you came in and outdid me, I grew paranoid about my position. But if I can improve my skills... then I suppose that wouldn't be such a bad thing after all."

For the first time since Antoine had met him, Barkerville smiled. It was a rather weak one, but still, it was something at least. Antoine found himself empathizing with the other canine. They really weren't all that different from each other. Barkerville had become comfortable with his position among the Maddogs and had been worried about it being taken away from him. The fact that the situation somewhat mirrored Antoine's own relationship with Sonic didn't escape him, although unlike Sonic, Antoine hadn't once considered rubbing Barkerville's nose in his shortcomings like Sonic would do to him. Having been on the receiving end of such treatment, it was something that he had personally sworn never to subject another Mobian to, no matter how much they annoyed him.

"It is never being too late to learn something new, _monsieur_ ," He told Barkerville. "That is what I am trying to do right now, complete my training so that I can become a full-fledged knight."

"Is that so? Well, I think you can do it. You seem like one of those stubborn young types who never gives up until they succeed." Barkerville said, earning an amused smile from Antoine.

________________________________________

When every last bit of supplies had been gathered, the Maddogs convened out in the junkyard. Suki and Blizzard, a wolf who was an older member of the group, performed a headcount to make sure everyone was present and accounted for. The youngest members of the pack amused themselves by talking with one another or otherwise idled about, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. Antoine and Stormblaze had chosen to travel with them a part of the way, as part of the route that the Maddogs were going would take them south, the same direction that Antoine and Stormblaze were going.

Just then Bandit came jogging up. His yellow bandanna was back in its customary position, tied around his neck. "Everybody here?" He asked Suki and Blizzard, the latter standing straight at attention now that their leader was there.

"Everyone present and accounted for, Bandit." Blizzard briskly reported.

"At ease, soldier," Bandit joked. "Well, since everybody's here now, why don't we get this show on the road?"

"Do you think we could come back one of these days?" That was Bonehead. Surprisingly, the massive dog sounded rather anxious as he looked around at Bandit and the others. "I mean, leaving like this… It just feels like Kasimir's won."

"Hey, don't worry big guy." Bandit went up to the Irish wolfhound. "Trust me, this fight's far from over with. That slimeball and his pal Robotnik are gonna get what's coming to them one of these days, and then we're gonna get our homes – our _real_ homes -- back."

"Is there a chance Fiona might be returning to seek revenge?"

"It's a possibility," Bandit replied. "But I can't see her wanting to cross paths with us again anytime soon -- not unless she's got something big up her sleeve. You and Pony Boy though, you're probably more ideal targets for her, it being just the two of you and all. Right now though, she's probably too busy hauling tail out of here. All the same though, you guys watch your backs. I saw firsthand just how tricky she is back when we both were working for Boss Fang."

****

A glorious sun was slowly climbing the horizon in the east, throwing a reddish-orange gleam over the sizable gathering in the valley below. Each Maddog was giving their farewells to Antoine and Stormblaze in their own distinctive way – Trip told him to keep practicing the guitar whenever he could, Bridget had clung to Antoine and bawled her eyes out, upset over their parting ways until he and Stormblaze had comforted her and promised to come see the Maddogs in the future, and so on.

When the time came for Bandit to say goodbye, he gave Antoine a playful cuff. "Stay out of trouble, Tony." Casting a glance Stormblaze’s way, he added, "Though I guess when you got a six foot tall guardian angel watching out for you, trouble should be more worried about you. Hey, listen, if either of you boys ever need a favor, then just give me a holler. I owe you big time."

Looking up, Bandit spotted Juniper heading their way and turned back to Antoine. "Well, I think Slipp could use some help with his bags. I told that little hairball he couldn't take all of Fiona's trinkets with him – he could barely fit everything in there." He left Antoine standing there, but not before winking suggestively at him and Juniper.

Likewise, the other Maddogs who were nearby suddenly made themselves scarce. Even trusty old Stormblaze abandoned Antoine. "Why, I daresay that lady over there could use some aid with her luggage.” He suddenly commented, even though Antoine couldn’t see who he was talking about. “I suppose I should put my expertise as a servant to good use and go assist her." Before Antoine could say anything, he had gone.

Seeing their comrades scattering like leaves, Juniper forced a laugh tinged with uneasiness and shifted from foot to foot. Antoine smiled weakly back at her. Thanks to Bandit's insinuation, he was feeling really self-conscious. It would appear Bandit and the others were just like Stormblaze, believing that he and Juniper liked one another as more than merely friends.

As if able to read Antoine's thoughts, Juniper said, "Bandit's just messing with us. Anyways, promise me you aren't going to go running into anymore doors or otherwise hurting your nose, okay? I won't be there to patch you up."

"I am hoping that my bad luck with _mon nez_ will be getting better," Antoine chuckled, her friendly teasing helping him to relax. He paused, carefully considering the other seventeen-year old. "Juniper, are you alright with this? Having to leave, I mean?" He couldn't help but be concerned for her. Even though by all outward appearances she seemed fine (to him at least), she could very well be hiding how she really felt about the Maddogs' situation.

Juniper shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, I'm fine with it. After all, if we’d stayed put, then Kasimir or someone else like him would’ve come knocking at our door sooner or later, and I'd hate for that to happen."

Antoine nodded quickly. "Oh, of course. But it is just that I am remembering what you said before about the base being a second home for you."

"Home is more than just a big headquarters or a fancy house, Antoine. Home is the Mobians around you. As long as I'm with the other Maddogs, I'm happy, and I feel like I have a home again."

Taking her words in, Antoine became contemplative. "I have never been looking at things that way before, but that is being very wise. I will remember that."

"Woman, remember?" Juniper winked at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French translations:
> 
> Enfants: Children.
> 
> Nez: Nose.


	17. Chapter 17

  
"Would you have really left with them? The Maddogs, I mean?" Stormblaze's voice broke the relative stillness of their surroundings. It’d been an hour since they and the Maddogs had parted ways.  
  
Stiffening up, Antoine cast his gaze down at the ground.  
  
"I'm not upset," Stormblaze quickly said. "As we both said before, we were angry with each other at the time. I merely ask out of curiosity."  
  
"I… I am not really knowing." Antoine answered truthfully. "But I do know I would have found myself missing your company."  
  
"Well, I'm glad that you did not leave. I would have missed you too."  
  
"Gentlemen, might I request a moment of your time?"  
  
Antoine and Stormblaze just about jumped out of their skins. The speaker was Anubia, who was standing behind them, calmly observing them. Antoine hadn't even heard her approach. He knew she hadn't been there a moment ago, so he figured she must have teleported herself there or something. She had already given them her goodbyes when they had left the Maddogs, so what could she possibly want?  
  
Stormblaze looked like he wasn’t particularly inclined to be polite towards Anubia, no doubt irritated by her interruption, so Antoine took the liberty of courteously (and hurriedly) giving her a response. "You may." He was curious as to what she had to say.  
  
"I apologize if my behavior has come across as strange or mysterious. I wished for an opportunity to speak with you both, but there weren’t many moments when I could do so without attracting unwanted attention," Raising a hand, she pointed at Antoine. "You have been touched."  
  
" _Excusez-moi?_ "  
  
"A magical being has touched you." Anubia clarified, coming closer. "One of my gifts is being able to sense arcane energy. When I first saw you, I was immediately able to tell that your aura had been altered from its original state," Anubia's eyes then traveled over to Stormblaze. "And I know what _you_ are."  
  
Stormblaze and Antoine exchanged uneasy glances between themselves. There was little doubt as to what she meant. They wondered where this exchange was going. There likely wasn't going to be much to worry about if Anubia publicly exposed the enchantment which had been placed over Antoine, as the duo couldn't see how that would negatively affect them, but some definite problems might arise if word got out about Stormblaze really being a unicorn.  
  
"Out with it then," Stormblaze practically growled at the pharaoh hound, whose deep blue eyes remained as unfathomable as ever as she stared back at him. "What do you want?"  
  
"I desire nothing." Anubia dismissively waved a hand. "Do I really look like the kind of Mobian who would blackmail another? You have nothing that I could not acquire elsewhere by non-deceptive means."  
  
"If you'll forgive me, most aristocrats have not given me much of a reason to place my faith with them." Stormblaze stonily returned.  
  
In the face of Stormblaze's open suspicion, Anubia remained cool. "I am not like the aristocrats you have encountered. I have told no other of what I know. I understand the potential problems that may result if knowledge of your true identity was to get out. I as well as my bloodline walk the path of twilight. I know that the two of you have an important task set before you. It is my job to pass onto you the knowledge that my gods have chosen to share with me concerning your mission to find the Deep Power Stones."  
  
"We are listening, _mademoiselle_." Antoine replied. Personally, he saw nothing wrong with hearing Anubia out. Obviously she was wise and astute, and that magicof hers’ were impressive – she had just told them the real reason why they were traveling together without even having to ask. While it was true that he and her did not share the same spiritual beliefs, Rosie and Cat had taught him to never judge another Mobian for what they believed in and said that everyone should be allowed to worship what they pleased (though Antoine seriously doubted their open-mindedness would have extended towards the Order of Ixis).  
  
A smile graced Anubia's tapering muzzle. Gesturing to Stormblaze, she began to speak.  
  
"Wandering knight, far from a home that never was,  
  
Looking for somewhere to belong."  
  
Eyes flicking over to Antoine, she pointed to him.  
  
"Young squire who walks but knows not where he goes,  
  
Trapped in his sire's shadow.  
  
One will lose something when the Chimera is freed from his prison.  
  
The warriors bold will meet him in battle.  
  
Two shall become one, and a great power unleashed,  
  
As the forces of virtue fight in the name of peace."  
  
Antoine flicked one ear back, completely lost. Some portions of Anubia's poem he understood; obviously the "wandering knight" and the "young squire" referenced Stormblaze and himself, but the other parts were as clear as mud to him. He would have been just as confused if Anubia had spoken to them in Japanese.  
  
"A breakdown of the second half please, for those of us who do not engage in mind games and riddles as a pastime?" Stormblaze sarcastically asked.  
  
To her credit, Anubia ignored his dig. "My apologies. I am only the gods' messenger. The only thing I can say with certainty is that the 'Great Chimera' mentioned is the one who calls himself Ixis Naugus."  
  
"You were saying 'one will lose something precious'," Antoine spoke up, his countenance shaken. "Are you saying that one of us will?..." He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'die'.  
  
Anubia gave him a look that was filled with sympathy. "Who can say how the prophecy will play out? That part could mean anything. Only the gods know the answer."  
________________________________________  
_'Being on the run sucks,'_ Fiona bitterly reflected as she munched on some wild berries she’d stumbled upon quite by accident while picking her way through a thicket. She had nothing but the clothes on her back, and frankly, really wasn't too sure how well she was cut out for this outdoors stuff. The last source of water she’d managed to find was yesterday evening. She really wasn't even sure where she was. She could just barely see Carnia in the distance. She didn't dare run to the city though – Bandit had friends there who would not hesitate to tell the Maddogs where she was.  
  
Dag and the others had tried to hunt her down, but Fiona hadn't been made Bandit's deputy for nothing. She’d outfoxed her pursuers (literally) and was making her way northwest now. She would lay low in some Podunk village or something for a while and do what she did best – plan her next move.  
  
The vixen was still fuming over the fact that her deception had been uncovered. It was all the fault of that idiot Antoine and that nosey old nag! If they hadn't intervened, then the Maddogs would’ve been none the wiser and she would've been running the show already!  
  
Finishing the rest of fruit off, Fiona tightly clenched her hands into fists. Those two interlopers had crossed the wrong Mobian…  
________________________________________  
  
_Antoine, now a pup once more, walks through the gardens of the Acorn family palace in search of his school-age friends. Compared to the last time he saw the place, which was in the final vision the Skinwalker had shown him, this garden looks much more inviting and vibrant, and thankfully, normal as well, just like it had been prior to the day of the coup._  
  
_"Up here, Antoine!" The voice of a young boy giggles. It was coming from the crown of one of the huge Mazurian jackalberry trees growing close by. Looking up at the tree house nestled among the tree's spreading branches, Antoine sees the grinning face of Prince Elias Acorn through one of the windows there. Antoine grins back. While the squirrel is a few years older than he is, the two of them had quickly bonded. While Sally, Sonic, Rotor, and the other children who lived there at the castle eventually grew tired of having to pretend to be knights and the like over and over again during playtime (especially when Antoine would insist that one of them be the Overlord, or Blood Talon the Nightbeast, or some other villain from one of the old tales), wanting to play a different game or activity instead, Elias was always up for a rousing game of knights._  
  
_Happy to be reunited with Elias, Antoine starts to climb up to the tree house, but Elias comes out and scurries down the tree's trunk with all the nimbleness and agility of his kind, a small wooden sword hanging from the gold belt looped about his waist. Approaching Antoine, he draws his sword. "Sir Antoine! Are you ready to do battle with… Blood Talon?"_  
  
_Realizing that he is indicating something behind him, Antoine turns to see what it is. It_ is _Blood Talon. The dark green, battle-scarred dragon whose colossal size dwarfed Dulcy was flying towards them, mouth open in a snarl to reveal yellowed, wickedly sharp fangs._  
  
_But Antoine has no fear. Pulling out his own (toy) sword, he raises it and points it at his foe. "Blood Talon, on my honor as a knight, I will defeat you!"_  
  
_Roaring battle cries at the tops of their lungs, Antoine and Elias charge at Blood Talon together as he lands and breaths a stream of fire at them. At the last second the tiny warriors spilt up, each jumping in a different direction to avoid the fiery attack. Moving fast, Elias scrambles on top of Blood Talon's back, using the dragon's rough scales as toeholds. Once he was up there, he begins yanking hard on his webbed ears. As Blood Talon turns his focus to his pesky adversary, twisting his scaly head around to snap at him, Antoine takes advantage of Elias’ distraction and hurls his sword straight at the rogue dragon's exposed throat._  
  
_As the “blade” strikes home, Blood Talon unleashes an agonized bellow of defeat. His body appears to combust in a brilliant shower of gold sparks, as if he’d swallowed a bunch of fireworks which then had gone off in his belly. When Antoine and Elias could see again, they are both relieved to see that there is nothing left of the dreaded legendary. Smiling, they turn to one another and shake hands._  
  
_"You did it, Antoine!" exclaims Elias._  
  
_"But I could not have done it without your help!" Antoine says. "You distracted him for moi!"_  
  
_Elias looks over at the spot where Blood Talon had been and then back to Antoine, smiling proudly. "We do make a good team, huh? When I’m king someday, you can be the first to join my knights!"_  
  
"Oui! _King Elias and Sir Antoine!" Antoine laughs, thrilled with the idea of actually being a real knight and his best friend becoming ruler of the entire kingdom._  
  
_Elias joins in. "Nothing can stop us!"_  
  
As he lingered between sleep and wakefulness, Antoine became aware of the fact that he was smiling and chuckling a little. Slowly his eyes opened. _'That was a strange dream.'_   After a moment longer of lying there on his sleeping bag, he finally decided to get up and unzipped the tent flap, revealing a gray morning sky overlooking a sandy stretch of land that had a few small trees and brush haphazardly growing here and there. In the last several days, he and Stormblaze had spent much of their time tramping through low, flat marshland splintered by numerous small rivers. Not wanting to face the prospect of spending a night with the mosquitoes and muck, they had chosen to trudge onwards in the increasing gloom of the evening to see if they could find some dry land. Their hard work had paid off when they discovered their current campsite.  
  
Stormblaze was nowhere in sight, although Antoine did notice a small fire blazing off to his right. Figuring that Stormblaze had left of his own accord and would return shortly, he decided to get down to business of making breakfast.  
  
"Good afternoon.”  
  
Antoine, who was presently frying some canned potatoes that he had seasoned over the fire, glanced up to see Stormblaze walking towards him across the dunes carrying his longbow.  
  
"Good afternoon?" Antoine repeated, confused.  
  
Making himself comfortable on the ground, Stormblaze set his longbow down beside him. A sprig of grass that was hanging from the corner of his mouth bobbed up and down as he slowly chewed on it. "Aye. Morn departed a few hours ago. 'Tis midday now."  
  
Antoine knew how Stormblaze was when it came to getting up in the morning. " _Mon_ apologies! I was not meaning to sleep so late."  
  
"No no, it's fine. After all excitement of the past few days, you needed the sleep." That much was true, but Stormblaze also hadn't wanted to wake Antoine because he seemed to be dreaming. An enjoyable dream too, judging by the positive emotions he had been putting off, and far be it from him to interrupt Antoine when he was having happy thoughts for a change. But Stormblaze's curiosity about the whole matter was about to lead him to break one of his own rules however. "You know… you were mumbling in your sleep. What was that about?"  
  
Antoine grimaced, feeling silly, but answered anyways, "I was having a dream about _mon amie_ Prince Elias. He and I were _enfants_ again and fighting Blood Talon together at the palace." Seeing that the potatoes were finished, he set aside the skillet and let out a sad sigh. "I am missing him."  
  
"Ah." Stormblaze knew of Elias from his talks with Sir Connery. He also knew that no one had any knowledge of the fate that had befallen King Maximilian's eldest kit during Robotnik's siege on Mobotropolis. It was a bit of a mystery to him as to why he had not been with the other children when they were all evacuated, but the poor lad hadn't been seen since that day. "Were you and he close?"  
  
" _Oui_. Before I left for La Valette, we always played together. We liked pretending that we were being knights who fought monsters and things like that. He was always telling _moi_ that once he became king I was going to be the first person he would knight. I have not been having a dream about him in a long time." Antoine replied, his voice distant . he was spooning some of the skillet's hot contents onto a plate he’d taken out for himself. He held the skillet out in Stormblaze's direction, but Stormblaze shook his head.  
  
"Thank you, but I have already eaten."  
  
Antoine set the skillet back down. Stormblaze observed him, sensing that he wanted to say more.  
  
Although he was hungry, Antoine ignored the meal in front of him. " Do you think he could still be alive? I mean, if Sir Connery was able to be surviving after all that time, then could Elias have as well?"  
  
Very carefully, Stormblaze thought his reply over. He didn’t wish to fill Antoine with false hope, but at the same time, neither did he want to be too blunt. Antoine was a sensitive sort. Realistically, even if Elias had survived the initial attack on the palace, the chances of a ten-year old surviving by himself for long were slim, unless he’d been found and taken in by someone. On the other hand, if he’d been caught by Robotnik, then he most likely would have found the prince far too valuable to kill. If Elias was in his clutches, then chances were that he was either a prisoner or had been roboticized and made into a Robian, which essentially was the same thing as being a prisoner.  
  
"Anything could have happened. So I suppose there is a chance that he could be safe and sound somewhere out there." Stormblaze answered.  
  
Hearing this, Antoine’s mood picked up slightly, and at last he took his first bite of food. In between bites, he asked Stormblaze where he had gone off to earlier. He replied that he’d decided to go do some scouting to see if anyone else was around (there wasn’t), and if they were going to have to deal with more boggy terrain or not (yes).  
  
After some annoyed griping from Antoine in turn, Stormblaze decided it was time for a change of topic. "I have a confession I wish to make."  
  
Antoine didn't bother looking up from his breakfast. "What about?"  
  
"I really should have been more forthcoming about this before, but, uh… I am not actually a knight. I mean, Edward is. But not I."  
  
Antoine froze, his fork halfway to his mouth."What?"  
  
Seeing his stunned expression, Stormblaze fidgeted uncomfortably. Perhaps he should've saved his report about the terrain for later and gotten his confession out of the way first. "I never was actually knighted. I really did not want to be part of any fraternity that would count Rience as a member. But Connery… he made me realize that not all knights were like Rience. I would be most honored if someone was to knight me, but I am still searching for a liege who I can place my trust in and is true of heart. I wished to tell you all this earlier, but… well, you were so pleased to hear I was a knight that after a while it became difficult to say anything."  
  
Finally finding his voice, Antoine glared at him. "You!... You were scolding _moi_ for lying before, but then you did the same thing? That is not fair!"  
  
"Yes, I am fully aware of my hypocrisy. From here on out, I shall endeavor to always be upfront with you. Promise." He put his right hand over his heart and raised his other hand.  
  
Antoine's frown softened somewhat. "Well… alright. I am forgiving you."  
  
Stormblaze felt relieved. He figured Antoine would be upset but probably wouldn't hold a grudge against him, and being able to finally get that burden off his chest felt good.  
  
Finishing breakfast, Antoine then went to work cleaning their dishes while Stormblaze dismantled the tent. "You know, it's good to have the old you back, little wolf." Stormblaze commented while he worked.  
  
"It is being good to be back." Antoine returned the smile that Stormblaze gave him before his expression sobered. "Are you thinking I should go back to Knothole? To see if I can start over there and be a better person?" Lately, he had been having second thoughts about returning. He remembered Stormblaze saying that he saw no need to remain on Avalonia because he felt unwelcomed there. Antoine wondered if his situation was the same and if he was just better off cutting ties with Knothole altogether. Trying to decide what he should do was frustrating.  
  
"That is something you must decide for yourself, I'm afraid."  
  
Antoine sighed. He’d really been hoping to receive a much less ambiguous answer. "But what if they really are hating _moi_ and not wanting me around?" He asked, jamming a plate he'd just finished washing into a collapsible drying rack to air-dry.  
  
"Then that is their loss. I for one am honored to call you friend." Glancing over at the unicorn and into his gray eyes, Antoine knew that he meant what he said.  
  
"You spoke fondly enough of Bunnie, as well as the old one and the fox lad… Tails, was it?" Stormblaze went on. "Perhaps you should return to see them if nothing else."  
  
That was something Antoine had not previously considered. While he knew he had tried even Bunnie's patience with his behavior at times, he realized she still seemed to accept his quirks more than the others did. he knew she’d be upset and worried if he were to never return to Knothole. Much to his great shame, he had forgotten all about Rosie. Since the war had begun she had become the closest thing to a mother that he had had. As for Tails, while it was true that their relationship wasn’t as brotherly as it was between Tails and Sonic, he did treat Antoine with a little more respect than most of the Knotholers did, and in turn Antoine was fond of him.  
  
"You are right…" Antoine slowly said. "But I could never stay in Knothole if most everybody else there hates me. That would be a terrible existing." He supposed he couldn't uphold his promise to his mother to keep Sally safe if she wanted nothing to do with him, and even with there being a small minority of Mobians in Knothole who did actually care for him, he didn't want to keep living there if his presence wasn't desired by the majority. He didn't think that his parents would want him to keep living in unhappiness either, vow or no vow. "If I must leave, then where am I supposed to be going? What could I be doing?" Working as a knight in service of the Acorns had long been a dream of his, but now he wondered if it had really been his own dream all along or a just a desire to please his father and carry on in his footsteps.  
  
Having finally finished packing the tent away, Stormblaze turned to Antoine. "That's 'existence'. Anyways, if you so desire, then you may travel with me. I plan to journey all over Mobius and do my part to help out the war effort, and of course, see if I can locate more unicorns."  
  
Antoine gawked at him. "You would still let me travel with you?  
  
"Why, I cannot believe you would even ask me such a question after all we’ve been through together!" Stormblaze replied in mock outrage before growing serious again. "Did you honestly believe that I would just leave you high and dry, little wolf?"  
  
Smiling slightly, Antoine shrugged sheepishly. "It is just that I know I can be burdensome sometimes… especially recently."  
  
"Everyone becomes vexed at their friends on occasion. I know I can be trying to be around at times – as hard as that is to believe." Stormblaze winked at him. "At least you've come to recognize your flaws and are trying to improve yourself. Just understand that no one – of this physical world, anyways -- is perfect, and never can be. Show me someone who claims to be, and I will show you a liar."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author’s notes:** While I believe in religious freedom being a right of all people and feel it’s realistic to depict Mobius as having a variety of religions, at the same time it is not my intention to promote paganism here.


End file.
